Quick Tip: Never Have a Dirty Bathroom Again - Clean While You Brush Your Teeth

by admin in Cleaning

I heard this tip a few years ago and it has really helped out.

In the days before I learned the tip……

Every time I cleaned the bathroom it was a huge ordeal. Get out the bucket. Get the rags. Find the right cleaners for the right surfaces. Take everything off the counter. And on and on… you know the drill. Took a while just to get set up.

So the tip…. what you’re reading here for… J

MethodBathroomWipes Store a container of the disposable clean wipe cloths under the bathroom sink. Buy a container for every bathroom.

Then when you’re standing there brushing your teeth, or waiting for the shower to warm up grab a wipe and quickly wipe down the sink, counters etc,

Literally in a few seconds here or there your bathroom stays looking clean. You still have to do the traditional clean periodically (pull out the buckets etc) but this makes it so it’s not such a pressing issue and looks clean all the time in between.

I hope this helps a sleep deprived mother of young children to now look down at her clean bathroom sink and smile.

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Popularity: 51% [?]

Cell Towers Help Locate Victims

by admin in Safety

I read this really interesting news article, where diabetic woman was suffering from low blood sugar, and crashed her car right into a tree. She was really messed up and didn’t know where she was, but because of technology rescuers were able to find her and probably saved her life.

She had a cell phone, and all the new ones have GPS technology in them. Because of that, cell towers can pinpoint exactly where a person is located. So when she crashed into the tree, she called her father, and her parents kept her on the phone while they called 911. The dispatcher told them to have their daughter call 911, and that way they used the GPS in her cell phone to find her location.

They were able to pinpoint her location within seconds, and within 7 minutes, rescue personnel had found her. That is amazing, and really comforting to know.

Popularity: 29% [?]

Authentic Baklava Recipe

by Natasha Fatale in Cooking

BaklavaIngredients

· 1 cup unsalted butter

· 1/2 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough

· 2 cups chopped pistachios

· 1 ¾ cups purified water

· Small rectangle of 2” cinnamon bark

· 2 thin slices of ginger

· 2 inches of lemon peel (yellow part only)

· 1 tsp lemon juice

· 3/4 cup white sugar

· ½ tsp pure vanilla

· 1 tbsp orange juice (no pulp)

· 1/2 tsp rose water or jasmine water (optional)

· 1/2 cup honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Melt the butter over low heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of the butter into the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan. Layer 3 sheets of the phyllo dough in the pan. Trim dough to fit. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of pistachios over the phyllo dough. Layer 3 more sheets of dough, brush generously with the melted butter, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of pistachios. Continue dough -butter- pistachio layers until pan is 3/4 full.

3. With a sharp knife, score phyllo dough to form diamonds. Pour remaining butter over the dough.

4. Bake 45 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.

5. Meanwhile, combine the water, cinnamon bark, ginger, lemon peel, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 1 cup.

6. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.

7. Add vanilla and orange juice. Remove from heat and discard cinnamon bark, ginger, and lemon peel.

8. Add ½ cup honey. The syrup should be a light golden color, and if you like you can add 1/2 tsp of rose water or jasmine water.

9. IMPORTANT: make sure the temperature of the Baklava and the syrup are not the same before you pour the syrup - one has to be cooler than the other or you will get some very soggy baklava.

10. Pour honey mixture over baklava. Let cool on wire racks. Cut into diamonds.

YUMMY!

Popularity: 68% [?]

Most Awesome List of Cookies

by Natasha Fatale in Cooking, Holidays

Xmas_icon This list of cookies from Mrs. Klaus’ Kitchen at The North Pole must be the most complete list of cookies I’ve ever seen, and just in time for Christmas baking and giving!

Just click on the name of the cookie, and voila, the recipe is there.

1-2-3 Cookies

7 Layer Cookies

Almond Crescent Shortbread

Amish Sugar Cookies

Andies Candies Cookies

Angel Crisps

Angenets

Applesauce Cookies

Apricot Fold-Overs

Aunt Edy’s Molasses Crinkles

Auntie Linda’s Ginger Gems

Bakeless Dream Cookies

Banana Drop Cookies

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World

Biscotti

Biscotti

Blueberry Cookies

Boiled Chocolate Oatmeal Drop Cookies

Brownies

Brown Sugar Shortbread

Brownie Cookies

Brownie Delight

Brownies

Buccaneer Snowballs

Buried Cherry Cookies

Butter Cookies

Butter Nut Balls

Butterballs

Butterscotch Haystacks

C.O.P. Cookies

Candy Cane Cookies

Candy Cookies

Caramel Shortbread

Cheesecake Brownies

Cherry Buns

Cherry Crowns

Cherry Winks

Chewies

Chewy Noels

Chinese Chews/Haystacks

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Meltaways

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Chocolate Christmas Trees

Chocolate Cream Cheese Squares

Chocolate Crinkles

Chocolate Mint Snow-Top Cookies

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (no bake)

Chocolate Snowball Cookies

Chocolate Streusel Bars

Chocolate Sundae Cookies

Chocolate Walnut Crumb Bars

Choco-Scotch Crunchies

Choose A Cookie Dough Recipe

Christmas Crackers

Christmas Crunch Bars

Christmas Ginger Snaps

Christmas Macaroons

Christmas Mice Cookies

Christmas Shaped Cookies

Church Window Cookies

Coconut Cookies

Congo Squares

Cookie in a Jar

Corn Flakes Cookies

Cornflake Christmas Wreaths

Cowboy Cookies (oatmeal)

Cream Cheese Cookies with Apricot Filling

Creme De Menthe Chocolate Squares

Creme Wafers

Crescent Cookies

Crispy Crunchies

Date Nut Balls

Date-nut Pinwheel Cookies

Diabetic Peanut Butter Cookies

Disgustingly Rich Brownies

Doodles

Double chocolate chip cookies

Double-Chocolate Crinkles

Eatmore Cookies

Eggnog Cookies

Elizabeth’s Sugar Cookies

Elves Quick Fudge Brownies

Emily Dickinson’s Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

Emily’s Best Brownies

Famous Oatmeal Cookies

Firemen Cookies

Fluffy Shortbread Cookies

Forgotten Cookies

Frosted Peanut Butter Brownies

Fruit Cake Cookies

Fruitcake Squares

Fry Pan Cookies

Gems Ginger Cookies

Ginger Crinkles

Gingerbread Baby

Gingerbread Cookies with Butter Cream Icing

Gramma Chapman’s chocolate coconut drops

Grandma Elsie’s Zimt (cinnamon) Cookies

Grandma J’s Butter Cookies

Grandma Olson’s Parkay Cookies

Great Grandmothers Sugar Cookies

Gum Drop Cookies

Gumdrop Gems

Haystack Cookies

Ho-Ho Bars

Holiday Cereal Snaps

Holiday Chocolate Butter Cookies

Holiday Raisin Walnut Bars

Holly Cookies

Hungarian Cookies (Little Nut Rolls)

Ice Box Cookies

Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies

Italian Cookies

Jacob’s Peppermint Snowballs

Jam Bars

Jessica’s Famous Brownies

Jessie’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jubilee Jumbles

Juliet’s Peanut Butter Blossoms

Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Kentucky Colonels

Kiefle (cream cheese cookies with jam filling)

Kifflings Kiss Cookies

Lacy Swedish Almond Wafers

Lemon Angel Bar Cookies

Lemon Bars

Lemon Cake Cookies

Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

Lemon Squares

Linzer Tarts

Log Cabin Cookies

Luscious Lemon Squares

M&M Cookies

Magic Cookie Bars

Melt in Your Mouth Cutout Sugar Cookies

Melting Shortbread

Meme’s Cream Cheese Cookies

Milk Chocolate Florentine Cookies

Mincemeat Cookies

Mincemeat Goodies

Molasses Cookies

Molasses Forest Cookies

Molasses Sugar Cookies

Mom Mom’s Crescent Cookies

Mom-Mom’s Ginger Cookies

Mom’s Nutmeg Sugar Cookies

Mom’s Old Fashion “Puffy” Sugar Cookies

Monster Cookies

Moravian Christmas Cookies

Nana’s Famous Soft Southern Cookies

Nitey Nite Cookies

No Bake Chocolate Cookies

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

No Bake Cookies

No Bake Cookies

No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

No-Bake Cookies

Norwegian Sugar Cookies

Nut Balls

Oatmeal Bars

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Nut Cookies

Oatmeal Coconut Crisps

Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal Scotchies

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Ooey Gooey Caramel Chocolate Dunk

Ooey Gooey Squares

Orange Slice Cookies

Parking Lot Cookies

Peanut Blossoms

Peanut Butter Bars

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut Butter Cereal Cookies

Peanut Butter Chewies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter fingers

Peanut Butter Reindeer

Peanut Butter Surprises

Peanut Marshmallow Cookies

Pecan Puff Cookies

Peppermint Snowballs

Peppernuts

Persimmon Cookies

Persimmon Cookies

Petey’s Yummy Spicy Almond Thins

Pfeffernuesse

Pffefferneuse Cookies

Pineapple Filled Cookies

Pizzelles

Potato Chip Cookies

Potato Flake Cookies

Pumpkin Cookies

Queen Biscuits

Quick Cookies

Raised Sugar Cookies

Raisin Filled Oatmeal Bars

Raspberry Meringue Bars

Really Peanutty Butter Cookies

Reese`s Brownies

Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars

Rich Flavor Christmas Cookies

Rich Lemon Bars

Ricotta Cheese Cookies

Royal Almond Christmas Bars

Rudolph Cinnamon Cookies

Russian Tea Cookies

Russian Teacakes

Samantha & Kelsey’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sand Art Brownies

Santa Claus Cookie Pops

Santa Claus Cookies

Santa’s Butterscotch Melts

Santa’s Shorts

Santa’s Special Squares Scotch Cakes

Scotch Shortbread

Scotcharoos

Scotcheroos

Seven Layer Cookies

Short Bread Cookies

Shortbread

Skor Squares

Snicker Doodle Cookies

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles

Snow Balls

Sour Cream Apple Squares

Sour Cream Christmas Cookies

Special K Cookies

Spice Cookies

Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

Spritz Cookies

Stained Glass Window Cookies

Stir & Drop Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies

Swedish Pepparkakor (Pepper Cake) Cookies

Swedish Sugar Cookies

Sweet Marie’s

Swiss Treats

Taralle (Italian Cookies)

Tea Time Tassies

Texas Brownies

The Best Shortbread in the World

Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint Cookies Thumbprint Cookies

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Vanilla Wafer Balls

Walnut Butter Cookies

Walnut Crumb Bars

White Chip Chocolate Cookies

Wild Oatmeal Cookies

Will’s Famous Apple Jack Cookies

Yummy Yummy Peanut Butter Blossoms

Popularity: 79% [?]

Scrumptuous List of Cake Recipes

by Natasha Fatale in Cooking, Holidays

With the holidays here, thoughts turn to cooking and baking for family, friends, and for gifts.

A few baking tips:

cake

  • Remember when baking to measure correctly. This is the most common mistake I’ve seen that garners poor results - usually in baked goods that are too dry.
  • Don’t substitute ingredients unless you know what you’re doing.
  • Make sure your oven temperature is set correctly, and set the timer 10 minutes in advance. Then watch carefully for the optimum time to take the pan out of the oven.
  • The old-time and still best method to check a cake to see if it’s done is the toothpick test - if the toothpick comes out clean it’s done; otherwise, give it a few more minutes. You can also press the top gently to see if it bounces back.

A friend sent me this terrific list (with links!) of favorite cakes from Mrs. Klaus’ kitchen at the North Pole. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite among them.

“Night Before Christmas” Coffee Cake
“Real New York Style” Cheesecake Supreme

A Cake That’s Fit For A Queen
Amaretto Italian Sour Cream Cake
Amazing Tropical Fruit Cake

Apple and Nut Cake
Apple Cake
Apple Cake

Apple Sauce Cake
Applesauce Fruitcake
Apricot Nectar Pound Cake

Baby Cheescakes Baby Cheesecakes
Banana Cake
Barron Family Cheesecake

Baumtorte (Tree Cake)
Becky’s Pumpkin Cupcakes
Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake

Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake
Broken Angel Cake With Chocolate Chips
Candied Fruit Cake

Carmel Coffee Cake
Carrot Cake with Hot Glaze
Carrot-Pineapple Cake

Cherry Cake
Cherry Cake Sauce
Cherry Cheesecake Cups

Cherry-Pineapple Dump Cake
Chocolate Angel Food
Chocolate Browny Cake

Chocolate Chip Muffins
Chocolate Cookie Sheet Cake
Chocolate Éclair Cake

Chocolate Ice Box Dessert
Chocolate Logs
Chocolate Lovers Heaven Triple Threat Chocolate Di

Chocolate Sheet Cake
Chocolate welington fudge pudding
Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cake

Christmas Cake
Christmas choclate cake
Christmas Mixed Glace Fruit Loaf

Christmas-Comes-But-Once-A-Year-Chocolate Cake
Cinnamon Morning Delight
Coca-Cola Cake

Coconut Cake
Cookie Pizza
Cream Cheese Icing

Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Cream Puff Cake
Creamy Chocolate Cupcakes

Creamy Chocolate Layered Cake
Decadent Chocolate Cake
Decadent Fudge Cake

Deluxe Chocolate Marshmallow Bars
Dream Cake
Dreamcicle Cake

Drizzle Cake
Earthquake Cake
Easy Cocoa Snack Cake

Easy Coconut Cake
Éclair Cake
Edie Ching’s Cherry Cheesecake

Eggnog Cake
Extra Moist Coconut Cakes
Festive Pumpkin Gingerbread

Flower Garden Cake
Fruit Cake
Fruit Cocktail Cake

German Chocolate Upside-Down Cake
Golden Bacardi Rum Cake
Gooey Butter Cake

Gum drop cake
Heavenly Pecan Cake
Hedge Hog Cake

Holiday Cake
Holiday Poke Cake
Holiday Rum Cake

Honey Bun Cake
Honey Cake
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Hummingbird Cake
Ice-Cream Chocolate Roll
Jewish Apple Cake

Johnny Appleseed Cake
Lemon Cake
Lemon Poppyseed Cakes

Lemon Pound Cake
Linda’s Yule Log
Mama’s Homemade Banana Cake

Mandy’s Cake
Microwave Scottish Pudding
Mini Fruitcakes

Miniature Cheesecakes
Mississippi Fudge Cake
Mississippi Mud

Mock Lemon Meringue Cake
Neiman Marcus Cake
No Bake Fruit Cake

Norwegian Gold Cake
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake
Old Fashion Pound Cake

Old Fashioned Light Fruitcake
Orange Date-Nut Cake
Orange Slice Cake

Oreo Cheesecake
Peanut-Topped Devil’s Food
Pecan Icing

Pennsylvania Dutch Pastry
Pineapple Heaven
Plum-Nut Cake

Pound Cake Pound Cake
Pumpkin Cake Roll
Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin log
Pumpkin Nut Roll
Pumpkin Pie Cake

Pumpkin Roll
Queen’s Cake
Red Velvet Cake

Reese`s white cake
Reese’s Brownie Cupcakes
Refrigerator Chocolate Cheesecake

Russian Tea Cakes
Russian Teacakes
Santa’s Breakfast Cake

Self-Filled Cupcakes
Shirley’s Chocolate Sheet Cake
Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Sour Cream Pound Cake
Southern Apple Cake
Swedish Nut Cake

Tiny Christmas Fruitcakes
Toll House Carrot Cake
Triple Chocolate Torte

Turtle Bars
Turtle Cake
Warcake

Watergate Cake
White Christmas Loaf
World War I Cake

World War II Cake

Popularity: 100% [?]

A Loaf of Artisanal Bread

by Natasha Fatale in Cooking

Artisanal bread baking is a practice that tries to recapture the tastes and textures of traditionally made bread. Ideally artisanal bread is made and shaped by hand, without using artificial ingredients, and is allowed to ferment for a longer period. This gives it three distinctive qualities: a stronger flavor, an irregular shape, and a tendency to keep for shorter periods.

If you’ve never made a loaf of bread from scratch, you’ve missed out on an elemental experience. Let you mind relax and wander as you enter into the rhythm of kneading the dough. Enjoy the tactile feel of the yeast working with the flour and honey until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and slightly warm. The heady smell of rising bread will fill you with sense of satisfaction. Later, the aromatic fragrance of baking bread will enrich your home with its aroma - you’ll be anxious to savor your creation.

Set aside a morning or afternoon, find a recipe that appeals to you or use the simple one below, assemble your ingredients, and prepare to discover a fundamental pleasure you didn’t know existed until now.

breads_and_breakfast

Heartland Bread Company’s Cinnamon Swirl Bread
From: Oh My Stars by The Junior League of Roanoke Valley
(Favorite Recipes Press; June 2000; ISBN: 096794970X; HC)
Cookbook Heaven @ Recipelink.com

Fabulous for French toast or just for snacking, this is a favorite with both adults and children.

Makes two loaves

  • 2 envelopes dry yeast
  • 1 1/2 cups warm (100-degree) water
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 3 1/4 cups unbleached flour
  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup ground cinnamon
  1. Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water in a small bowl. Combine the remaining 1 cup warm water with 1/4 cup honey, salt and 2 1/2 cups of the flour in a large bowl and mix well by hand. Add the yeast mixture and mix to form a dough that pulls away from the side of the bowl. Add enough of the remaining flour to form a slightly dry dough.
  2. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until firm and smooth. Return to the large bowl. Mix 3/4 cup honey with the cinnamon in a small bowl. Pour over the dough. Cover with a warm damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Punch down gently and let rise, covered, for 1 hour longer.
  3. Remove the dough carefully from the bowl without disturbing the honey and cinnamon mixture and place with the dry side down on a floured surface. Divide into 2 Portions and roll the dough up to enclose the honey-cinnamon mixture pressing as much air out of the dough as possible.
  4. Place the loaves seam side down into two 5×9-inch loaf pans or form by hand into oblong shapes. Let rise in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until light brown.
  5. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Popularity: 39% [?]