Here is a fun website I came across a couple weeks ago... DailyLit will send you a book in installments by email (or to your reader via RSS feed!) one at a time. You don't even have to sign up for an account to try it out and it's completely free. Just find a book you want to read, enter your email address, and click subscribe. You set the schedule of when you'd like to receive the emails. If you decide you don't want to continue that book then you can unsubscribe anytime.
They have over a 1000 books. Mostly classics but also some more recent books. Some free, some you have to pay for. Each email takes under five minutes or so to read and if you are dying to know what happens next you can request the next section right away. So now you can finally read War and Peace! Me? I'm reading Wuthering Heights...
October 27, 2009
October 26, 2009
Sweet Treat
Here's a cute, and super easy, fall treat for you! Take your favorite cut-out sugar cookie dough and add a little orange (or red/yellow mix) food coloring. Roll it out like you would normally, but instead of using cookie cutters... cut out triangles. Once the cookies are cooled dip one end in a glaze colored yellow and the other in regular white glaze to make them look like little candy corn. Using the "looser" glaze and dipping the cookies makes the decorating go a lot faster than spreading regular frosting on with a knife.
I brought these as a snack to a family event this weekend and they were a big hit! Both because they were yummy and because they were cute! A friend gave me a suggestion that will help save me a little time the next time I make them: use a pizza cutter to cut the dough. I used a dough scraper, it worked great, but the pizza cutter is an even better idea!
I brought these as a snack to a family event this weekend and they were a big hit! Both because they were yummy and because they were cute! A friend gave me a suggestion that will help save me a little time the next time I make them: use a pizza cutter to cut the dough. I used a dough scraper, it worked great, but the pizza cutter is an even better idea!
October 25, 2009
Recipe: Stuffed Crust Pizza
Tonight, I made the usual homemade pizza with a twist. First, I turned about 15 pounds of garden tomatoes into multi-purpose marinara sauce this morning. I used that as our pizza sauce. I plan on using some for future pizzas and the rest on pasta. It was a long process (picking, peeling, cooking, packaging) but worth it... it was very tasty! 
Then when the crust rolled out a little bigger than my pan I got the bright idea to stretch it out a bit more and turn it into a stuffed crust pizza. Yum! I just laid some mozzarella there and rolled the crust edge right over it. To make it pretty (and extra tasty) I sprayed on a bit of cooking spray and sprinkled some garlic salt. It worked great!
I will definitely be making the pizza this way again. The toppings, in case you were wondering, are half pepperoni with fresh from the garden onion (for me) and half pepperoni, ground beef, and homemade pickled jalapenos (for my hubby). I would have put black olives on my side but we didn't have any. The kids didn't have the stuffed crust on their half cheese, half pepperoni pizza. They never eat the crust. Although they might have if I would have stuffed it!
October 24, 2009
Seasonal Cleaning: Master Bedroom
Your bedroom is supposed to be a relaxing place. A room you go to at the end of the day to rest. Don't let your "sanctuary" become a storage room. Part of the master bedroom cleaning is really decluttering and organizing.
There really is a difference. My house may not be perfectly clean all the time, but it is not cluttered. You may have a clean house, but if it is cluttered and unorganized that is all people will see. The goal, of course, is a clean and organized house, but if you have to choose one or the other... you'll get more bang for your buck out of an organized, clutter free home! Plus, it's easier to keep a organized house clean.
We all have a lot of stuff. No excuses (small house, lots of kids, no basement, etc.) Trust me, I know all about living in a smaller house and houses with no basements and lots of kids. Even if you have a small house or lack the blessed storage space of a basement or have 10 kids you still don't have to have a cluttered bedroom!
There really is a difference. My house may not be perfectly clean all the time, but it is not cluttered. You may have a clean house, but if it is cluttered and unorganized that is all people will see. The goal, of course, is a clean and organized house, but if you have to choose one or the other... you'll get more bang for your buck out of an organized, clutter free home! Plus, it's easier to keep a organized house clean.
We all have a lot of stuff. No excuses (small house, lots of kids, no basement, etc.) Trust me, I know all about living in a smaller house and houses with no basements and lots of kids. Even if you have a small house or lack the blessed storage space of a basement or have 10 kids you still don't have to have a cluttered bedroom!
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Fall Cleaning: Master Bedroom
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Prep work: remove all dirty laundry and trash.
1. Take down all window treatments and wash them (if possible). At least shake them out if you can't launder them or take them to the cleaners.
2. Remove all bedding and wash. All of it... even the dust ruffle.
3. Wipe down ceiling fan, if you have one. Remove all the (removable) parts of the light fixture(s). Wash glass shades in hot soapy water and dry. Wipe down the remaining parts of the fixture that cannot be removed. Do the same to any closet light fixture.
4. Dust the ceiling first, then dust the walls. Use a rag or an extending duster. A regular (dry) Swiffer also works nicely. The area around the light switch (and any other dirty areas---like along the bed) should be washed with hot soapy water.
5. Wash door (front and back), door knob, and frame. Don't forget the top of the door and the door frame.
6. Dust or wash blinds.
7. Wash window inside and out. Don't forget the sill and frame. Brush window screen with a dry, stiff brush.
8. Move each piece of furniture and vacuum under it using the vac tool to get along the wall. Dust any parts of the walls (including the baseboard) you may have missed before you moved the furniture. Dust the furniture (top, front, back, and sides) before returning it to it's place. Clean any decorative items and lamps on dresser tops or nightstands. [You can move all the furniture at once or do it one piece at a time.]
9. Dust any remaining items hanging on the wall. Wipe down frames, clean glass with glass cleaner. Remove any items from wall shelves, dust the items, and the shelf.
10. Clean any mirrors in the room with glass cleaner.
11. Wipe any heating/cooling vents. Wipe light switch plate.
12. Go around room and wipe baseboards with a damp rag.
13. Vacuum floor/rug. Use vac tool to get along the edge of the wall.
14. If you need to declutter: Don't put back any items you don't use or belong! Keep only a few items on top of dressers and side tables. This makes it much easy to clean on a regular basis. Group small items together in baskets so you can pick them all up at once when it's time to dust.
15. If you REALLY need to declutter: Empty each drawer and return only items you love and really use. Donate and toss appropriately. In these economic times especially, someone could be using the stuff that is cluttering up your space! Your drawers should not be so full that you cannot close them. Speaking of that... close them! Open drawers make rooms look messier. Close your closet door(s) too.
18. Nothing should be stored loose on the floor (books, videos, clothes, etc.). Find a home for these items-use baskets, shelves, drawers, plastic storage containers, or even cardboard boxes.
19. You should have already vacuumed under your bed when you were moving furniture, but just in case you forgot... do it now. If you store stuff under your bed make sure it's stuff you really need and you have a way to get to it if you need it.
20. Flip or spin your mattress, if applicable. There is an old saying about mattresses: "Flip in the fall and spin in the spring." This really helps your mattress wear more evenly. Remake your bed.
Want to keep it looking this great? Here's how in about 5 minutes per day:
I made another printable checklist for you, it can be found here.
1. Take down all window treatments and wash them (if possible). At least shake them out if you can't launder them or take them to the cleaners.
2. Remove all bedding and wash. All of it... even the dust ruffle.
3. Wipe down ceiling fan, if you have one. Remove all the (removable) parts of the light fixture(s). Wash glass shades in hot soapy water and dry. Wipe down the remaining parts of the fixture that cannot be removed. Do the same to any closet light fixture.
4. Dust the ceiling first, then dust the walls. Use a rag or an extending duster. A regular (dry) Swiffer also works nicely. The area around the light switch (and any other dirty areas---like along the bed) should be washed with hot soapy water.
5. Wash door (front and back), door knob, and frame. Don't forget the top of the door and the door frame.
6. Dust or wash blinds.
7. Wash window inside and out. Don't forget the sill and frame. Brush window screen with a dry, stiff brush.
8. Move each piece of furniture and vacuum under it using the vac tool to get along the wall. Dust any parts of the walls (including the baseboard) you may have missed before you moved the furniture. Dust the furniture (top, front, back, and sides) before returning it to it's place. Clean any decorative items and lamps on dresser tops or nightstands. [You can move all the furniture at once or do it one piece at a time.]
9. Dust any remaining items hanging on the wall. Wipe down frames, clean glass with glass cleaner. Remove any items from wall shelves, dust the items, and the shelf.
10. Clean any mirrors in the room with glass cleaner.
11. Wipe any heating/cooling vents. Wipe light switch plate.
12. Go around room and wipe baseboards with a damp rag.
13. Vacuum floor/rug. Use vac tool to get along the edge of the wall.
14. If you need to declutter: Don't put back any items you don't use or belong! Keep only a few items on top of dressers and side tables. This makes it much easy to clean on a regular basis. Group small items together in baskets so you can pick them all up at once when it's time to dust.
15. If you REALLY need to declutter: Empty each drawer and return only items you love and really use. Donate and toss appropriately. In these economic times especially, someone could be using the stuff that is cluttering up your space! Your drawers should not be so full that you cannot close them. Speaking of that... close them! Open drawers make rooms look messier. Close your closet door(s) too.
16. Closet time. Save the closet for last. Do it a different day if the above took too long or your worn out. Most importantly, don't get sidetracked. Stay focused. It's just a closet!
17. If you have a desk in your room or a craft table--clean off flat surfaces, organize your area, make sure everything has a place to go. Use containers to help keep things tidy. If you have space elsewhere, seriously consider moving your stuff to another part of the house.
- If you are really motivated--take everything out of your closet. Wipe down shelves, dust the ceiling and walls. [If you have moved in the last few years you probably don't have to do this, but if you have lived in you house more than 5 years and haven't done this since you moved in, it might not be a bad idea.] Have 3 boxes ready as you go through your closet: trash, give-away, and storage. Only keep the items you love and wear regularly. You know the old rule (aka Rule #1)... if you haven't worn it in a year get rid of it. Rule #2: Don't spend a lot of time trying on clothes... if you don't know if it fits or not then you probably haven't worn it in awhile which means you should refer to rule #1. As you return items to your closet group like items together. Organize your shoes.
- If you aren't as motivated--at least get everything off the floor and vacuum. dust the closet corners, and look through your clothes to donate any unwanted items.
18. Nothing should be stored loose on the floor (books, videos, clothes, etc.). Find a home for these items-use baskets, shelves, drawers, plastic storage containers, or even cardboard boxes.
19. You should have already vacuumed under your bed when you were moving furniture, but just in case you forgot... do it now. If you store stuff under your bed make sure it's stuff you really need and you have a way to get to it if you need it.
20. Flip or spin your mattress, if applicable. There is an old saying about mattresses: "Flip in the fall and spin in the spring." This really helps your mattress wear more evenly. Remake your bed.
Want to keep it looking this great? Here's how in about 5 minutes per day:
- Make the bed. EVERY day.
- Put dirty clothes in the hamper, never leave them on the floor. Ever.
- Put trash in the trash can.
- Keep clean clothes hung or folded and put away. If you change your mind about wearing something put it back.
- Put stuff away. If it doesn't have a home... make one!
- Train your children in the above!
- Keep a small basket or container for miscellaneous items--but deal with it on a regular basis.
- Dust and vacuum once a week.
I made another printable checklist for you, it can be found here.
October 20, 2009
Drying Herbs
Just before our first really hard frost I went out and cut what was left of the herbs I had planted in the garden. I had cut some a few weeks ago and hung them to dry in the garage the old fashioned way. I thought I'd put my dehydrator to use for this batch.
Lined up and ready to go...
I cleaned them off and then layered the herbs in the dehydrator trays. I thought I'd just plug the dehydrator in in the laundry room to have it out of the way. If we smell like rosemary at all in the next few weeks you'll know why. Holy moly, that stuff was strong! As it dried it got better, but at one point I turned on the exhaust fan in there just to try and ease the smell. It wasn't a bad smell really, just really strong!
Tons of fresh rosemary... now dry... fills only one container!
It's amazing how much stuff "shrinks" in the dehydrator! I thought I was going to have lifetime supply of rosemary. Instead, I got one regular size spice container full. I can't wait to use it. For those of you who haven't tried rosemary on or in bread, I highly recommend it! It always reminds me of the delicious bread at Monti's La Casa Vieja in Arizona. Here is the recipe for Monti's bread and a video on how to make it.
Lined up and ready to go... 
Sage ............................. Rosemary ................................ Oregano
I cleaned them off and then layered the herbs in the dehydrator trays. I thought I'd just plug the dehydrator in in the laundry room to have it out of the way. If we smell like rosemary at all in the next few weeks you'll know why. Holy moly, that stuff was strong! As it dried it got better, but at one point I turned on the exhaust fan in there just to try and ease the smell. It wasn't a bad smell really, just really strong!
Tons of fresh rosemary... now dry... fills only one container!It's amazing how much stuff "shrinks" in the dehydrator! I thought I was going to have lifetime supply of rosemary. Instead, I got one regular size spice container full. I can't wait to use it. For those of you who haven't tried rosemary on or in bread, I highly recommend it! It always reminds me of the delicious bread at Monti's La Casa Vieja in Arizona. Here is the recipe for Monti's bread and a video on how to make it.
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