Sunday, November 28, 2010

Post Turkey Day Fun

So the turkey is carved, the meal has been eaten, and there are piles of leftovers EVERYWHERE. You have slept, woke up at the crack of dawn to shop, eaten more, slept, shopped, eaten, repeat. There is still turkey leftover! Use these leftover Turkey Recipes to attempt to rid your home of all the leftovers.


Friday, November 12, 2010

Thursday, November 11, 2010

easy home air fresheners

Keep fresh air circulating

 in rooms (open doors, open windows, turn on ceiling fans).

                                     Use an air purifier

 with a HEPA filter to help remove toxins.

Change filters

 in purifiers, furnaces and air-conditioners often.

Throw out old food regularly

 as you write out your grocery list then clean your fridge with Antibacterial fantastik® All Purpose Heavy Duty Cleaner.

Store odorous foods

 in Ziploc® Brand Containers or cover with a variety of Saran™ products.

Scoop kitty litter daily

 and avoid using any that is dusty or scented. Placing litter box in an unused corner or little trafficked room is best.

Install houseplants

 like bamboo palm or chrysanthemum to cleanse impurities from the air and circulate oxygen.

Keep comforters, carpets and curtains clean

 with regular maintenance.

Spray

 Oust® Air Sanitizer to kill 99.9 percent of odor-causing bacteria in the air. It helps eliminate odors from pets, bathrooms and mold and mildew.

Use

 Glade® PlugIns® Scented Oil in the kitchen, bathroom, or home office and enjoy the superior fragrance of scented oils.

Integrate vases of flowering lavender

 or small sachets of cedar chips into your décor.

When painting,

 wrap cleaning brushes and paint roller in Saran™ Premium Wrap or place in a Ziploc® Brand Storage Bag for reuse the next day.

Bathe pets regularly

 in distilled water and clean food and water bowl daily.

Fill baskets

 with aromatic pinecones or make a centerpiece with fragrant lavender branches.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Srsly, how did I miss Deviled Egg Day?

Apparently, November 2nd is National Deviled Egg day.I was notified of this in my lovely HungryGirl.com newsletter. Just looking at this picture makes me want to make deviled eggs . RIGHT . NOW . Srsly. So of course, I had to share it! Yummy deviled eggs with all the taste and none of the nasty fats or sugars! YAY!

Devilish Eggs

PER SERVING (4 pieces): 79 calories, 1.75g fat, 403mg sodium, 6.25g carbs, 1g fiber, 2.5g sugars, 9.5g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

Deviled eggs are no longer a fatty no-no. This recipe will have you churning out creamy, delicious eggs in no time.




Ingredients:

2 cups roughly chopped orange cauliflower (or alternative below)
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
3 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese, room temperature
1 tbsp. sweet relish, patted dry to remove moisture
2 tsp. minced shallots
1 1/2 tsp. yellow mustard
Salt and black pepper, to taste
10 hard-boiled eggs, chilled
Optional topping: paprika


Directions:
Place cauliflower in a large microwave-safe bowl with 1/3 cup water. Cover and microwave for 6 - 8 minutes, until cauliflower is soft.

Once bowl is cool enough to handle, drain any excess water from cauliflower. Lightly mash cauliflower, and then place in a blender. Add mayo and puree until just blended, not smooth. Do not over-blend.

In a mixing bowl, combine cauliflower mixture with cheese wedges, relish, shallots, and mustard. Stir until smooth. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

When ready to serve, halve eggs lengthwise and remove yolks. Evenly distribute cauliflower mixture among egg white halves and, if you like, top with paprika.

Eat up and enjoy!

MAKES 5 SERVINGS

HG Alternative! This recipe calls for orange cauliflower. If you can't find it, use regular cauliflower. But add a drop of yellow food coloring to the mixture if you want your Devilish Eggs to look like the real thing.

let's go green 'round the house

Try innovative ideas that help the earth without lightening your wallet.

1. Opt for cloth. The average American family uses 1 1/2 rolls of paper towels per week, says Earth911 (earth911.com), so cutting down to just one a month could save you roughly $45 a year. Use cloth towels or old T-shirts cut into squares to clean up spills; toss them in the wash instead of the trash. Snip old sheets to use as napkins, or buy cloth napkins in various colors, with a different hue for each family member. (Visit tablelinensforless.com to find napkins for as low as 83 cents a piece!)

2. Throw a green cleaning party. Gather your friends together to have some fun while mixing environmentally friendly cleaning products. Pool your money to buy the ingredients; everyone should leave with enough supplies to last a month. Try these three recipes: Glass cleaner: Combine 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice with 1 quart water. Pour into a spray bottle and use with newspapers to clean surfaces. Furniture polish: Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to 2 cups vegetable oil. Carpet freshener: In a jar mix 1 cup crushed dried herbs, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 2 teaspoons baking soda. Shake well. Sprinkle a bit on your carpet, let it sit for an hour, then vacuum.

3. Boil water in a flash. When cooking pasta, use a kettle to boil water, then transfer the water to the pot. The water will boil faster, so you'll use less energy.

4. Tidy your computer. Instead of using pricey keyboard cleaners, which contain chemicals, turn your keyboard upside down and shake out dirt and debris. Then swipe double-sided tape between the keys to pick up any remaining bits. Source: Ideal Bite


5. Freshen up your oven. Cleaning your oven probably isn't tops on your to-do list, but once it's done your food will cook more efficiently, which will save energy and money. If you own a self-cleaning oven, start the cleaning cycle right after you've cooked or baked to take advantage of the residual heat.

6. Rinse and reuse. Get more life out of empty pickle, jam and sauce jars by washing them thoroughly and using them to store dry goods, homemade salad dressings and even leftovers. 

7. Take your temperature. Keeping your fridge and freezer colder than necessary can boost your energy consumption--and your bills. Your fridge should be set between 37°F and 40°F, the freezer between 0° and 5°F.

8. Keep water in the refrigerator. A less-than-full fridge has to work harder to stay cold than one that's completely stocked. If some shelves are bare, stash a few glasses of water on them to help maintain efficiency.

Reuse household items and save money

This sounds so simple, that we often forget how easy ideas like these are!!
From our friends at AllYou.com, 10 ways to give new purpose to old belongings


Transform place mats into coastersTransform place mats into coasters

Cut up place mats into drink coasters. Most place mats are already water-resistant and made for wear-and-tear, so no extra prep is necessary.

 

Save cereal bags

If your family loves cereal, you can avoid buying wax paper ever again. Wash and save the plastic bags that come in cereal boxes―they can be repurposed to wrap sandwiches or cold-cuts, store leftovers or freeze meats.


Put tired T-shirts to good use



 Add ripped or worn-out shirts (and other clothing items!) to your arsenal of cleaning supplies―whether you’re washing or dusting, the scraps come in handy as extra rags. (Compared to what you see at your left, which is basically a bag of cut up t shirts!!












Plant a garden using coffee mugs


Plant a garden using coffee mugs
Chipped coffee mugs make perfect homes for small flowers or herbs. Just fill with potting soil, plant seeds or flowers and place on the windowsill and you have your own portable garden!


 

 

Cover up with paper bagsCover up with paper bags

The brown paper bags you carry out of the grocery store can be easily converted into covers for your kids’ textbooks. That’s one more thing to scratch off your back-to-school shopping list! (I used to do this as a kid, because then you had a blank canvas for all your doodles and scribbles from friends)



Get organized using coffee cans

Use empty coffee cans to hold everything from markers to macaroni! It’s a fuss-free way to de-clutter any area of your home.


Store pills in contact casesStore pills in contact cases

Wash out cases that no longer hold contact lenses and fill them with a day’s worth of vitamins. Take one with you wherever you go for easy, discreet access.






Craft a bird feeder from a milk jug

Milk may have an expiration date, but its container can be used long after the last drop. Turn plastic jugs into bird feeders for your backyard simply by cutting a hole in the side and adding bird seed. Have the kids decorate, then hang from a tree.

Turn candles into pincushions

No need to toss away burned-out candles. They can become convenient homes for pins and needles.

Reinvent greeting cards

Collect the various greeting cards you receive throughout the year. When the holiday or occasion has passed, snip the cards into strips for instant bookmarks or cut off the fronts to use as seasonal postcards.(or I like to cut off the written-on page, and then use the decorative cover (now with a blank back) as a postcard! Genius!)

While we are at it, let's see some ways to re-use paper before chucking it ::

Unlike money, paper does (sort of) grow on trees, which is why it’s important to be mindful of how much you use―and waste. Check out these 10 budget- and earth-friendly tips: 
  1. Print again. Reuse printer paper if it has text on only one side. It’s perfect for faxes and casual print-outs.
  2. Take note. Make a notepad by stapling used printer paper, blank side up, to a piece of cardboard.
  3. Let them scribble. Printer paper is great for kids to draw and paint on, and is often more cost-effective than paper made specifically for artistic pursuits.
  4. Make art. Set aside an afternoon to create with your kids. The creative options are endless. Get inspired to make your own at Howstuffworks.com. Papier mâché, for example, simply uses strips of computer or newspaper to yield beautiful creations ready to paint. Get instructions at Ehow.com.
  5. Cushion your packages. Newspaper or old wrapping paper can be used as package padding―shred, crumple or tear and eliminate the need for Styrofoam!
  6. Make cat litter. Turn newspaper into odor-deterring kitty litter. It only takes a few simple steps―shred, soak in dish detergent and baking soda, and dry. Learn how at Planet Green.
  7. Wrap it in your own style. Tape together sheets of unwanted paper, decorate and…instant customized wrapping paper! This is a great way to recycle children’s leftover artwork that doesn’t make the “keeper” pile.
  8. Stuff it. Shred old paper to use as fill for stuffed animals or throw pillows. You can use any type of paper. It’s cheaper than buying synthetic padding and works just as well.
  9. Create your own. Never buy fancy stationery again! Making your own gorgeous textured paper is much easier than you might think. All you need is pantyhose, bendable wire (a coat hanger, for example) and a blender. Follow the instructions at Ehow.com
  10. Recycle it. If you’ve absolutely run out of creative reuses for your scrap paper, you still shouldn't throw any out. Paper bags, newspapers, computer paper, magazines, packaging and envelopes (minus the plastic pieces) can all be recycled. The only recycling no-nos are waxed paper, laminated paper (like that in fast-food products), pet-food bags and oil- or food-soaked paper. Check with your local sanitation department for restrictions in your area.
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