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Monday, December 28, 2009

Awesome Project

Check out this newlywed map. A friend of my posted this on Facebook, and when I checked it out, I thought it was a great idea. Now, if I only had the ambition to do it.

I'm not taking all of that girls pictures and putting them here. Just click on the link to check it out. She has some cool stuff on the rest of her blog too. Have a great day!

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Product Reviews

My previous post started out as a post about these two cleaning products I was going to tell you about, but then turned into an explanation of my life story. I couldn't figure out how to tie the two together, so I just decided to make a new post. I got both of these cleaning things for Christmas and they are awesome.

We had been having problems with our dishwasher not getting our dishes clean, and I was getting so frustrated that I was going to call Sears to get service on it. By the way, I just looked outside and caught a glimpse of the snow falling, and it is beautiful. That has nothing to do with this though. Anyway, all of our glasses would have little pieces of stuff still on them and it was really frustrating.

My mom bought us these Electrasol Powerball Tabs, and I used one this morning, and they work wonders. I am definitely sold on these things. I'm not a name brand shopper, so we were using Member's Mark (Sam's Club generic) detergent. We've used it ever since we moved in here, and it didn't even occur to me that the soap might be the problem. I just assumed it was something with the dishwasher. I'm so happy we got these. We'll definitely buy them again.

Also, I got a Swiffer Wet Jet Mop. It is so awesome. I scrubbed our tile floor twice already, and I got so much dirt off of it. It is so much more convenient than a mop and bucket. I don't know how much they cost in stores, but if you go to Swiffer.com you can get a $5 off coupon. We're all about saving.

Christmas

I haven't mentioned this before on here, but I probably should so that my explanation of my Christmas gifts will make more sense. Like most Americans, we're not made of money. We also have not been the greatest at saving money. I'm working on a budget right now, and we're getting our act together. But, because of money, we were unable to buy Christmas gifts for our friends and family. We told them all that we weren't able to do it this year, and they understood. I told my mom not to get us anything, but like a mom, she can't. We talked about it, and instead of getting us fun gifts, we would get things we need for our house. I made a list for her of everything we use, like the brands of toothpaste, the kind of laundry soap, dishwasher soap, you get the idea. Household products was our theme this Christmas, and I have to say, I think it was one of my favorites.

I have always had a problem with gift getting. I don't know if you have a family like mine, but on one side of my family, we always get together and open gifts. When we were really young everyone had to wait for all of the gifts to be passed out before we were allowed to open (which was an eternity). With that system though, it allowed my cousins to compare how many presents they had compared to everyone else, and it was about how much you got. Even when I was little I disliked gifts. I feel awkward opening gifts, and I panic about if the other person will like the gift I'm giving. I feel that our lives get so consumed with gifting, that Christmas gets pushed aside. I think that probably all over the country this year, Christmas was more about spending time with family, and less about gifts. And I think that is how it should be.

This is the first Christmas my brothers have really been into Christmas. It was a lot of fun seeing them get so excited about everything. My cousin Nick announced at Christmas dinner that his wife, Hannah is pregnant and they're expecting the baby in August. Even though my family drives me crazy, spending time with them is a great gift.

No, this wasn't a normal Christmas, but it was a good one.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Bunnies

It seems like every time I go to the Rural King they have something else that is cuter than ever. Check out this old man rabbit...he had a beard and everything. He was only $10 and I would have bought him, but I don't care much for taking care of the puppy, let alone another animal. Isn't he cute??

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Do You Dress Up For Christmas?


I was just standing in front of my closet wondering what in the heck I was going to wear tonight...and then I started wondering why I felt like I needed to dress up. I see the same people all the time, and they know what I look like, so why dress up? I do it because my mom made me my whole life. When I was a teenager I thought it was the dumbest thing in the world, and I was so excited one year when I got away with wearing jeans and an over-sized sweatshirt. It's rough being the only child, nothing goes unnoticed. So anyway, do you dress up for Christmas? Why do we do this?

Another thing I noticed is that I posted from this exact same time last Christmas Eve. Why, you ask? It's because I'm always waiting for my husband to get ready around this time. Now I won't let anyone tell me we don't have our own traditions. :)

Wedding Planning

I am so happy that Sarah's wedding is coming up, and not mine. :) I am so over wedding planning, but for some reason the other night I found myself looking at wedding cakes again. Not that I'd change anything about mine, but I found a few, impractical ones, that I really think are cute. You could feed about five guests with them though, but whatever.

I went to Michigan the other day to get my bridesmaids dress for Sarah and Ben's wedding. It is this style...


In this color...I think.
I'm really excited to see what it looks like in my size. I tried on the sample which always makes me feel like a cow.

If You Need A Laugh...

Watch these. I've posted them before, but I was just reading through some of my old posts and found them again. They make me laugh every time. Sorry Roger, you tiger now.



Old Favorite

Ok, I just have to say that every time I look for my favorite cookies of all time, I end up finding something completely different, but hilarious. Like last year when I was looking for Mexican Wedding Cakes/Rings (you'll see a picture of them in a minute) I found two different funny pictures. I posted them on here and here.

This morning I Googled "Mexican Wedding Cakes" and I found this site. It is called Junk Food News and you should totally check it out. This is the article that Google picked up on though..."World's Largest Wedding Cake: 15,032 Pounds". It is 17 feet tall, and it took me a minute to realize, but the decorators in the back are in a lift. This cake is sitting on the floor. Unbelievable.


But, here is the real thing. I have never made these before, but they've been my favorite cookie forever. I just made them about an hour ago, and I already have a stomach ache from eating so many. It's bad.
I Googled for the recipe, and I got it from here.

This is recipe copied from the site:
Mexican Wedding Cakes
Makes about 48

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-pupose flour
1 cup finely chopped almonds or pecans
1/4 teaspoon salt
powdered sugar

Pre-heat oven to 325 F. In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla. Blend well. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 15-20 minutes until set but not brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Cool slightly and roll in powdered sugar. Cool completely and reroll in powdered sugar.

You'll never believe this, but I didn't change anything. I just realized that I followed a recipe and won't change anything the next time. It's wonderful. :) The BEST PART about these cookies is that I can eat the dough and not worry about how many raw eggs I'm consuming. You might think I'm weird, but it's kind of a relief.

The dough after mixing.

I was having a good camera day today.


Calm down baking people, I didn't put them in the oven that close together.

I put the powdered sugar for rolling in a pie dish. I put about a cup in there and even had some left over after the second coating.

Cookies after the first coating.


This baking pan/rack really rocks. I didn't even know I wanted one, but one year Josh's mom bought it for him so he could make beef jerky. In order for the jerky to cook properly it has to get air from both sides, so you put it on the rack and the juice drips down. Josh has never made beef jerky, but I use this pan and rack a lot. I'm really glad she got it for him! It helped with the recipe though because it helped to contain the excess powdered sugar.



After the second coating of powdered sugar.

Yum yum.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

This is Familiar...

Jason Michael Carroll, Hurry Home

Why would a 25 year old girl run away from home??

I can't get a good version of this...but you can hear the song.
Blake Shelton, Austin


Sounds like someone got their inspiration from Blake Shelton. I like him. I like his girlfriend too, she's a badass. Anyone with songs titled Gunpowder & Lead and Kerosene have to be pretty awesome.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Such A Sap


In Real Simple their question they asked readers was: "What will you do differently in 2010" and this answer almost made me cry:
"Change hundreds of diapers. Fold clean onesies. Get far less than my normal eight hours of sleep. And love my first baby beyond what words can say."
Jenn Salsgiver
Colcord, Oklahoma

She was the monthly winner. They did a small interview and she is due to have her baby in May. I thought it was so sweet!

Real Simple

I just want to say, I love the magazine Real Simple. They rock.
I finally got around to reading the issue that came the other day, and it is all about ways to save you money. The coolest thing I found that I didn't know about was this:

"Save up to %20. Buy refurbished Apple iPods and computers from apple.com. Click on "store" to find pre-owned gadgets that have the same warranty coverage as new ones."

Whats really cool, is that that is the truth. This is the direct link to the refurbished part of the Apple site.

I think if you or someone you know is looking for one, it's worth it to check it out.

Product Advisory

I'm not an expert, but I thought I might let you know...especially if you have front loading washers and dryers.


Have you heard of these 3-in-1 detergent/fabric softner/dryer sheets?

I've been reading the review on their website and it specifically says that they are safe to use in front loading washers. However, my parents have a front loader, and they started having problems last week. The washer wouldn't drain so that meant they couldn't open the door because it was locked. They ended up having to call for service and the repairman told my mom that 3 out of the 5 service calls he did that day were problems with the 3-in-1 sheets getting clogged in the drain. He said they work fine in top loading washers, but they get caught in the front loading ones.

Don't take my word for it though, I'm just passing on the info. The Purex website says it's safe, but my mom won't be using them anymore...instead she's giving them to me. :) They'll work just fine in my top loader.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

KitchenAid Stand Mixer

If you don't have a stand mixer, get one with the glass bowl. I don't know any of the cons to having the glass bowl, but I sure do wish I had one. I've posted about it before, but I just got another email, this time from Crate and Barrel, I think last time it was Bed, Bath and Beyond. Anyway, I think the glass bowl is beyond cool...I hate that I can't see if the stuff on the bottom got mixed up or not.

Chicken 'n Biscuits

Last week Josh asked if I knew how to make chicken and biscuits, and I had no idea what he was talking about. I Googled it, and came up with this ...which is Joshua approved by the way.


Easy Chicken Casserole

Serving: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 110 minutes
Total Time: 125 minutes


INGREDIENTS:
5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 12-ounce (like Veg-All) cans mixed vegetables
1 10.75-ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 10.75-ounce can cream of celery soup
1 can refrigerated biscuits
water



DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large pot, boil the chicken until cooked through.

2. Lay the chicken breasts in a casserole dish; set aside.

3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the undiluted cream of chicken and cream of celery soups with one soup can of water.

4. Pour half of the soup mixture over the chicken; set remainder aside.

5. Layer both cans of vegetables into the casserole on top of the soup mixture. Cover the vegetables with the reserved soup mixture. *For convenience, prepare to this point, cover and refrigerate for tomorrow's dinner! (This can also be frozen for later in the week.)

6. Bake at 350° until bubbly. Remove from the oven.

7. Open biscuit can and place individual biscuits on top to cover mixture. Return to oven and bake until biscuits are done. Enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Based on individual serving.
Calories: 310
Total Fat: 7 g
Carbohydrates: 22 g
Protein: 39 g

As always, I made a few modifications. I didn't have any canned mixed veggies, so I thawed about four cups of frozen, and it worked fine. I was debating on whether to boil the chicken or not. I ended up doing it, and it wasn't as awful as I thought it would be. I'm typically always a chicken roaster, but boiling does work. I actually hate chicken breast, and only cook it for Josh. So no matter which way I cook it, unless its covered in fried breading, I'm not going to like it.

They are not kidding on how long this takes to bake, that is why I bolded the times at the top. It took forever. I have a slow oven, but it took closer to three hours for this to cook all the way through. I never mess with chicken though, it has to be done done or we're not eating it.

Josh really liked this, and actually asked for it two days later. I told him it was too soon for me.

It really just tastes like a chicken pot pie. I was a little messy with the biscuit placement, but I was so tired of cooking that I really didn't care. :) This recipe was not hard at all, just time consuming. Perhaps I would be a little better if I weren't making it while studying for a final...but who knows.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

New Love

Another thing I've tried that I hated in my childhood.

Hot chocolate!

I actually used to love hot chocolate, but one time my grandma was babysitting me, and being the lovely child I was, she gave me whatever I wanted. This particular instance included me having three rather strong (read: total chocolate) cups of hot chocolate and then vomiting shortly after. I couldn't have it for so long, I was traumatized. The other day I actually got a craving for it, so I asked Josh to get some at the store. I've had it a lot since then, and I love it.

Do you like hot chocolate?

Cookies

The other day I decided to make Amish Sugar Cookies to give to some of our friends for Christmas. Well, that never happened. I made them, and we ate them all. It was an unbelievable amount of cookies, and they are gone.

In case you missed it, here is the recipe. Trust me, you'll want to write that one down.

This is so you can see how much there really is. This is my six quart mixer bowl...that is 24 cups. I'm so serious. I even cut the original recipe in half and that is still how big it is.














This was my celebration sheet because I was finally finished, but the sprinkles made them taste like plastic, so I had to throw them away.

Since we ate all of them, we definitely belong on this website.

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