Tuesday's Tip

If you're one of those who likes to recycle bottles, then you're also probably one of those who likes to remove the label so that all that is left is the pretty bottle.  I'm weird like that, too.  

So, today's tip is how to remove a vinyl label from glass. 

It's quite simple: Start by filling the bottle with boiling hot water, or you can fill with water and microwave for a 2 minutes. (Be very careful and try not to allow any water to get on the label itself)  Then, allow bottle to sit for a 2-3 minutes. After "resting" with the hot water in the bottle, the label is ready to be removed.  Find the seam of the label and starting at one corner pry up the label and it  should come off in one sheet; however, if the label has gotten wet at all, it's possible that it will tear at the wet spot.  If there is any residue left at all, which typically there isn't, you can spray your bottle with a little bit of WD-40 and it will remove any sticky spots you have left.

Happy de-labeling!

Tuesday's Tip

I'm sharing my "tip" today in the form of another recipe with the "tip" being how to get more lacto-fermented foods with probiotics into your family.

I've been trying different mayonnaise recipes for the past few months and this one, IMO, is the absolute best.  Homemade mayonnaise is SO much better than store bought. Store bought mayonnaise is typically full of oils like canola and soybean,  and a litany of other ingredients that I have no idea what they even are. 

Homemade Mayonnaise

3 egg yolks (very fresh, room temperature)
1/3 tsp. sea salt (it needs to have color to ensure you're getting the trace minerals)
1/3 tsp ground coriander

1 TBL dijon mustard
A tiny dash of stevia powder to sweeten it (or about 1/4 tsp raw honey)
1  TBL lemon juice
1 TBL whey (Whey extends the life of the mayonnaise and make it a more nutrient dense food; however, you can make it without.)

1/2 cup organic expeller pressed coconut oil (melt if solid)

1/2 cup organic extra virgin olive oil

**If you have a stick blender, I highly recommend you use it. While you can use a regular blender, I've found the the stick blender produces a better consistency than the blender.  

Blend egg yolks for 30 seconds and then add remaining ingredients minus the oils and blend until well blended.  Next, gradually add your oils in a steady stream while blending so that they emulsify.  You should notice the consistency gradually changing as you add the oil.  If you do not, you've added the oil much too fast.  

If you've added the whey, you can sit on the counter for up to 8 hours and allow it to ferment for lacto-fermented, probiotic food and then refrigerate. 

Enjoy!

Tuesday's Tip

Hard boiled eggs can be less than desirable with a dry overcooked yolk, especially when the membrane around the yolk turns green. Do you all know what I'm talking about? If my camera wasn't ill at the moment I would show you, but I would imagine that many of you can picture it. (My camera has been fixed and I've updated this post!) My tip today is how to boil the "perfect" (in my opinion) hard boiled egg. Thanks to Uncle Bill P. for this "tip" he shared with Brent and me years ago.

#1 Fill your pot with water and set on stove to boil.

#2 While waiting for your water to boil, using a pushpin, make a hole in the more rounded end of the egg. Ok, I know they're both rounded silly, but one end is a little more pointed than the other and that is NOT the end you want to use!  Don't be afraid, I've yet to break an egg, but I've never tried to put a hole in the wrong end either.

#3 When you water has come to a rolling boil place your eggs in the water.

#4 Set a timer for 8 min.

#5 When timer goes off, rinse with cool water and enjoy the most delicious hard boiled egg ever.

***All eggs are not recreated equal -- stay tuned, that's another post!

Tuesday's Tip

Today's tip is how to satisfy that chocolate craving free of grains and sugar.




FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE
Serves 8
3/4 cup chocolate powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

5 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 cup Xylitol
5 egg whites, at room temperature
pinch of sea salt
1 cup chocolate sauce


This is a delicious, moist and rich cake
Butter and flour two easy-remove 9-inch cake pans. Place butter, chocolate powder, water and vanilla extract in a glass container set in a pan of water over a low flame. Melt and blend well. Beat egg yolks with Xylitol for about 5 minutes with electric beater. In a clean bowl, beat egg whites with pinch of salt until stiff. Mix chocolate mixture with egg yolk mixture and then fold into egg whites. Divide batter between two pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from pans. Remove one layer to a serving dish and place other layer on top. Frost top with chocolate and let it dribble over the sides.
(I personally like to put sauce between the layers as well)



CHOCOLATE SAUCE
Makes 2 1/2 cups
2/3 cup chocolate powder
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup maple syrup (or sweetener of your choice)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 cup cream, not ultrapasteurized

Place all ingredients in the top half of a double boiler. Cook gently, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until well amalgamated.

Tuesday's Tip

This tip is learning from life's experiences....

On our recent cruise we were spending a beautiful afternoon at the Flow-rider, which is a wave simulator. It was so much fun to watch people try to get up and ride the wave. There were those who could do it well, and then those who....well, not so much. As I was sitting on the steps watching I started conversing with another mom who I discovered was a fellow K12 mom. She was asking me different questions about the curriculum and we were enjoying sharing virtual school stories. She pointed to her son who was riding the Flow-rider and told me his name. He was REALLY good! He was also about as round as he was tall and he was wearing a wetsuit. I'm not making fun, but he had a lot going for him when it comes to center of gravity. Anyhow, back to my story.... My family was in line to take their turn at the Flow-rider, and while they were doing pretty good, they just weren't up to this kid's level quite yet. Just minutes after the K12 mom told me about her son, my daughter (I will not disclose which one) walks up to me and in a voice that wasn't quiet says, "Mom, did you see that kid that keeps showing off?" What does a mom do when her child embarrasses her so badly? You melt...right into the wooden bench you're sitting on. I so wanted to disappear like a vapor! BUT... since I couldn't I just didn't do anything. I was too shocked to even respond. Now, said daughter knows that what she did wasn't kind or smart. Hopefully next time she won't be quick to be so vocal with here opinions of others, especially in front of those she doesn't know.

Tuesday's Tip

Dryer Balls:

Several months back I heard about making wool dryer balls. And like most things that I hear about that are touted as doing wondering things and saving money, I just had to look into it a little bit more. After reading about their benefits, I decided that I needed to give them a whirl. What I read was that when placed in the dryer among the wet laundry the dryer balls help to lift and separate the clothes reducing static and drying time as well as leaving the clothes soft and fluffy. Technically the dryer balls work by improving the circulation of heat and air through the wet items.

I've made several and I've officially decided that I do like them. What I've noticed is that things don't get as tangled in the dryer. Maybe it's just our laundry, but it always seems that a drawstring or one of the legs of leggings will get all twisted around other articles of clothing causing something to get all distorted. I've not had this happen once in the month that I've been using my dryer balls. What I also notice is that everything appears to be fluffier. My dryer balls now have a permanent residence in the bottom of my dryer.



To make the balls, you begin to wind the 100% wool yarn just like you would if you were winding a yarn ball. Start by winding around your fingers:



After about 10 times around your fingers you pull it off and change the direction of your winding and start winding around the middle:



Again after about 10 times around that direction you change directions and this time you'll start to see a ball form:



Keep winding and changing your direction to keep the ball uniform. You'll want to wind until your ball is approximately 3-4" in diameter.



You then need to cut your yarn from the skein and finish off your ball. I used a rug hook with an eye on one end to thread my tail back into the middle of the ball. You can also use a crochet hook to pull your tail into the ball.




Now you are going to want to felt the balls. Simply place in an old pair of pantyhose, make a knot around each ball, wash with a load of laundry on a warm to hot setting, and then dry with your load of laundry.



After your balls are felted you'll want to again wrap some more wool yarn around them to increase their size to a 3-4 inch diameter. When you start wrapping your yarn around the the felted ball, just lay you yarn on the top of the ball and begin wrapping, there is no need to secure the yarn that you start with, only secure your tail at the end. Felt a second time and enjoy your new dryer balls!

Tuesday's Tip

Since I last posted about making homemade detergent and softener, I've experimented and found something that I like better. Here are the recipes that I'm currently using:

Homemade Laundry Detergent
1 bar Laundry soap (Zote, Fels-Neptha,Castile)
4 c. Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
4 c. Borax
2c. all fabric bleach(non- chlorine)I use OxiClean
1c. baking soda

Using a food processor or a Microplane, grate your soap and mix with remaining ingredients. Store in an air-tight container. I use approx 2 TBL of this detergent per load, although I might be able to get away with less.

Fabric Softener
1 bottle Suave Naturals Conditioner 22.5oz
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
8 cups water
1 TBL glycerin
.75 oz Downy fragrance oil

Mix all ingredients together and use as you would normally use fabric softener. I like to use my stick blender to mix it. I kept an old gallon vinegar jug  to store mine in. As you can see it's fairly inexpensive compared to Downy; cost is approx $3.00 for 3/4 of a gallon.

Such an easy way to save money.....remember, we're cheap!

Tuesday's Tip

For those dropping by from the Daily Meme, please feel free to scroll down to find the link in the box and use Tuesday's Tips for your blog.


I've always loved baked potatoes, but could never get the "perfect" skin until my brother, who used to be a manager at Red Lobster, shared this tip with me. Now, I, too, can make a pretty mean baked potato!

How to make the world's best baked potato, at least IMO:

Scrub and dry potato
Cut a slit in the top
Liberally rub lard over the skin of the potato
Roll in kosher salt (Table salt will not work, as it will be way too salty)
Bake directly on rack in oven @ 350 for 1- 1 1/2 hours, or until soft.

Tuesday's Tip

For those of you who are visiting from the daily meme, or anyone else for that matter, please feel free to use the Tuesday's Tips on your blog. You can snag the code from the scroll box if you look further down on the page. I only ask that you give credit where credit is due. Enjoy!

Today's tip is actually a funny story, or at least it was funny to me.

We were in Oklahoma this past weekend on business and also attending a Christian camp. On the way home we decided to stop at the outlet mall in Allen. Brent's favorite store is the Bostonian~Clarks store. I will not tell you how many pairs of shoes that my husband owns, but it is a LOT. Anyhow, Brent was doing his due diligence in finding the perfect pair of shoes with that perfect fit. The girls were getting bored with shoe shopping and had shopped at the store next door, gone to the bathroom, and were back with us. Blair decided to start trying on every shoe in the store, just like her father. She would try on shoes and then come show us. At one point she started trying on just one shoe, with a different shoe on each foot. She actually did this one time and took the shoes off that she had been trying on and left them with Brent and I while she was off looking for more shoes. After about 10 minutes, I told her that she needed to take the shoes back. While she was returning one of the shoes, she realized that a women had the other shoe on her foot. It took Blair only a few seconds to realize that that shoe was not a shoe for sale, but rather the shoe of another customer. I was too embarrassed to ask, but I have to assume that the poor lady had been feverishly looking for the missing shoe.

So, the moral of the story is:
Make sure that that shoes you are trying on are actually located in a box and not just those that are strewn on the floor.

Tuesday's Tip

For those of you who are visiting from The Daily Meme, please feel free to use the Tuesday's Tips meme. Just scroll on down and you can grab the link. I'll I ask of you is to give credit where credit is due. Enjoy!

Tuesday's Tip:

With all the swine flu we've been reading about and the scare to get the new vaccine, I thought I'd offer my two cents on this subject.

For as long as I can remember every winter my dear hubby comes down with a head cold, which parks itself in his sinuses and then travels down to his lungs. The end result is a sinus infection and bronchitis. He would go to the Dr., who would put him on steroids and antibiotics. He would get better, but many times this would be repeated one to two times more. Not a good way to spend your winter.

For the past 1 1/2 years my husband and I have been taking Vitamin D3. Last year we also started using fermented foods as a regular part of our diet. I'm happy to report that last winter we did not get as much as one little sniffle. Utterly amazing, huh? I thought so too! After doing more research, I've found that D3 does boost your immune system, and so do fermented foods, so it really may be more than a coincidence. It was such a wonderful winter without having the flu, or even a head cold that we have no desire to stop our regime.

My tip for you is to see if you, too, can make it through a winter without a sniffle by taking a Vitamin D3 supplement and eating/drinking more fermented foods/beverages. Fermented foods not only aid in digestion, but they are full of beneficial bacteria, yeasts, probiotics, and vitamins. We personally consume Kefir, fermented milk, and Kombucha ,fermented tea, on a daily basis. Miso soup and sauerkraut are also a part of our diet, but not on a daily basis. There are many other fermented foods and I'd love to hear of any fermented foods that your family consumes!

Tuesday's Tip

Life has been really busy around our house. It's been hard to even come up for air between blogging for thebigthink, helping the girls with school, helping new families, getting ready for open house last week, playing hubby's secretary, being wife, mom, housekeeper........should I go on? I'm not complaining at all! I love what I do, especially the part that involves my husband and my children. My personal blog is what has been neglected the most. When time is tight, something has to give.

I've had many visitors from the Daily Meme who I'm sure were looking to see if they would like to use the Tuesday's Tip meme. I'm so sorry that I've neglected to post how you can do that! If you'd like to do that, I now have it posted it at the bottom. I ask nothing of you, except to give credit where credit is due :)

My Tuesday's Tip:

For we dare not to class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. (II Corinthians 10:12)

This tip is for me today! As I look at some of your blogs and realize that your doing school yet still keep up with your blogs, along with the rest of your life, I can get a little disgruntled with myself. But, when I read this verse I realize how unwise that is! My prayer is for myself to grow in the Lord's grace, knowing that I'm perfect just the way He made me. I shouldn't be comparing myself to anyone, but living for Him everyday.

Tuesday's Tip

I wanted to share one of my favorite verses. This verse keeps me focused when I just don't feel like I can do it anymore. It is a great reminder to me, and I hope it is for you as well.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.

Tuesday's Tip

Blessed are the flexible, for they shall never be bent out of shape.

~ Larry Balderson

As I start this new school year, this is very important for me to remember. I need to be flexible so that I can be the mother/teacher that I need to be!

Tuesday's Tip

***Updated Post

A friend shared this with me a couple months back, and I've been using it ever since. Because I don't want a huge 5 gallon bucket sitting in my utility room, I choose to leave it in dry form. I used a fine microplane to grate the soap. I use a 1 TBL for each load of laundry, and that is for a front-loader. What a great way to save money!

TIPS FOR LAUNDRY SOAP: We use Fels-Naptha bar soap in the homemade soap recipes, but you can use Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile or Zote bars. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps. We buy Fels-Naptha by the case from our local grocer or online. Washing Soda and Borax can normally be found on the laundry or cleaning aisle. Recipe cost approx. $2.

 

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value

4 Cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

Fabric Softener

1 Gallon White Distilled Vinegar

1 Tsp. glycerin

20 drops essential oil (I use fragrance oil and more of it because I like my laundry to really smell good!)

Add glycerin and essential oil to the vinegar and shake vigorously before each use.   Use approx ½ cup per load (Since I have a front loader, I am limited to whatever size the dispenser is and it works great!)

When selecting your essential oil make sure not to choose a darkly colored one.

My new favorite homemade laundry soap mixture:

Homemade Laundry Detergent
1 bar Laundry soap (Zote, Fels-Neptha,Castile)
4 c. Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
4 c. Borax

2c. all fabric bleach(non- chlorine)

1c. baking soda

Using a food processor or a Microplane, grate your soap and mix with remaining ingredients.  Store in an air-tight container.  I use approx 1 TBL of this detergent per load, although I might be able to get away with less. 

Tuesday's Tip

I'm sure many of you have tried this and this may be old news, but for me it is something that I've done in the past and forgot all about it! So, I thought I'd share my new discovery!

Make up a pizza crust recipe and divide. Wrap each section in Saran and then place in a Ziploc baggie to freeze. You can thaw the dough in the microwave on defrost. We use .5 lb for one crust, turning frequently. (Watch carefully if you use this method, you do not want to cook your dough.) You can have pizza on the table in under 30 min!

Pizza Crust

2 TBL yeast
2 C. Water
1-2 Tsp salt
3 TBL olive oil
5 C. flour (I only used unbleached flour and love to use whole-wheat)

Mix wet ingredients with yeast and then add flour. Knead dough for 6 min, and then let rest for 10 min. Bake at 500 for 10-15 minutes.

If you have Lifetime electric skillet or another waterless electric skillet, this crust works wonderful! We roll the dough out in a cold electric skillet that is sprayed with olive oil, and then add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place the lid on skillet, turn up to 350, and 10 minutes later you have a crispy crust pizza!

Enjoy!

Tuesday's Tip

Do you have extra lemons, limes, or oranges? A great way to use extra citrus is to freeze slices and use them as ice cubes in your water and tea. They look pretty and add great flavor!

Tuesday's Tip

I know this is a day late, but yesterday was just too busy for blogging! Brent created this for Ashley after much complaining from Ashley about her back hurting. He has reminded her over and over again that she needs to work on her posture. When Ashley insisted that she cannot remember, good 'ol dad created this reminder. Now, if we could just get her to wear the hat!

Tuesday's Tip

Before scaring everyone by running out of the house and crying loudly, you should inspect your surroundings to make sure the goose really did swallow the safety pin.

Enough said!

Tuesday's Tip

"You will never possess what you are unwilling to pursue."

~Larry Balderson~

Tuesday's Tip

Want to be able to make a quick lunch or dinner for the next day?

This is a great way to use up that leftover steamed rice that no one wants to eat, or if you have a family like ours, we make plenty rice so that we will have leftovers to fix this dish.

Ingredients:

• Day Old Rice (two or three day old works too)
• Oil, Vegetable and Sesame (don't leave out the sesame oil, it is VERY vital to the flavor)
  
• 1-2 Eggs (more if you'd like it)
• Any vegetable that you would like to add: Chopped Carrots, Peas, Scallions, Edamame, etc.
  
• Soy Sauce
• Salt and Pepper
• Leftover Chicken, Pork, Shrimp, or Beef
  

In a large skillet or wok, scramble an egg or two. Set egg aside. Add oil to your pan(make sure it's good and hot) and then add your rice and vegetables. Be creative and add whatever you'd like. Fry rice and cook vegetables until tender. This usually takes less then 5 min. Toss your scrambled egg into your rice mixture, and then season your rice with soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Enjoy!