Tuesday Tip - Zip Fix

Candle as Zipper Fixer

Release a stubborn zipper by lightly rubbing a candle along the teeth on both sides to smooth the way.

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Happy June

Happy June!

Shabby Apple would like to announce the release of their newest line GREEN LEAF a collection of vintage inspired dresses..

. They are so excited for this new line.  They are offering a 15% discount off everything in the store to celebrate!

 

Click the Logo

to Start Shopping!

The Discount Code is:

Green15  

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Tuesday Tip - Pies

 

Six Decorative Pie Edge Techniques

By The Paula Deen Test Kitchen

   

Put your forks away! Instead of the usual “pressing of the tines” ritual around the perimeter of your holiday pies, let these six suggestions be your inspiration and get your creativity flowing. The possibilities and pies are endless.

Braid:  Brush rim of single-crust pie shell with water. Cut 3 long strips of extra pie dough 1/4” wide. Braid strips together and apply to the moistened rim.

Checkerboard: Using kitchen shears to cut across the rim of a pie shell at 1/2” intervals. Alternately fold every other piece toward the center.

 Cutouts: Brush rim of double-crust pie shell with water. Cut out the rolled top sheet of pie dough with tiny pastry cutters (or free hand). Apply the cutouts to the moistened rim in an overlapping pattern, gently pressing to stick.

Point:  Position your index finger on the inside of the pie shell rim, pointing out. Using the index finger and thumb of the other hand, press the dough into pronounced points that go outward. Once you have made your points all the way around the outside of the pie, go around again pressing the inside into pronounced points.

Scallop: Place the index finger of one hand on the edge of the pie shell rim pointing in. Using the index finger and thumb of the other hand to move the dough inward forming a scalloped roll around the perimeter.

Spoon Pressing: Press the rounded tip of a spoon along the perimeter of the pie shell rim. Move the spoon down and repeat using a smaller rounded tip.

Paula's Note: To give yourself the best rim to work with, cut your pie shell with kitchen shears so it hangs evenly 1” past the outer edge of the pan. Fold the edge of the dough under itself so it is even with the outside of the pan to form a thick raised rim. Once you have formed the decorative edge like those we suggested, chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking and filling. At this point, you can place your pie shells in a heavy zip top freezer bag and freeze for up to two months.

Test your decorative pie crust skills with these delicious recipes!

·        Nita's Secret Peach Pie

·        Sassy Strawberry Pie

·        French Coconut Pie

·        Pumpkin Pie

·        Savannah High Apple Pie

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Cookies and Cream CAKE

Cookies & Cream Cake

 

Ingredients:

• 1  package (2-layer size)  white cake mix
• 1-1/4  cups  water
• 1/3  cup  cooking oil
• 3    egg whites
• 1  cup  coarsely crushed chocolate sandwich cookies with white filling
• 1  recipe  Creamy White Frosting (see recipe below)
• 2  ounces  semisweet chocolate
• 1  teaspoon  shortening

Directions:

1. Prepare cake mix according to package directions, using the water, oil, and egg whites. Fold in crushed cookies.
2. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9x1-1/2-inch round cake pans. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pans on wire racks. Remove from pans and cool cake layers.
3. Prepare the Creamy White Frosting. Fill and frost layers.
4. In heavy saucepan, melt semisweet chocolate and shortening over very low heat. Drizzle melted chocolate around top of cake. Garnish with additional sandwich cookies, if you like. Makes 16 servings.

Creamy White Frosting:
 In large bowl, combine 1 cup shortening and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Beat with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Slowly add 2-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar, beating well. Add 2 tablespoons milk. Slowly beat in 2 additional cups sifted powdered sugar. Beat in enough additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until frosting is easy to spread.

Can YUMMY be this EASY!

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Tuesday Tip - Jewelry

Ice-Cube Tray as Jewelry Storage

Each ring, necklace, bracelet, and pair of earrings gets its own cubby when you use an ice-cube tray to organize your baubles. Trays can be stacked in a drawer for a multitier alternative jewelry box.

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Tuesday Tip - Spring Flowers

Get the most of your spring flowers

How to Trim, Arrange, 

 Display and Extend  

the Life of your Blooms

via  Real Simple

Long-Stemmed Flowers

Tulips and daffodils come in dozens of varieties; Ranunculus (shown, second from left) and Poppies (shown, bottom) run the rainbow gamut. Also look for Anemones (shown, top red flower),Iirises, and Amaryllis. All bloom sometime between March and July.

Trim

• Cut stems at an angle with sharp flower clippers or a knife. For poppies, use a lighter or a match (Perez uses a flat iron) to gently singe the cut ends. This keeps sap inside but allows for water absorption.

Arrange

• Some of these flowers emit a sappy substance (in poppies, it is toxic and can kill other flowers). Let the sap drain by putting flowers in water separately overnight before arranging.
• For a dense, upright arrangement, cut stems so the blossoms are about three inches from the top of the vase. Or fasten flowers loosely with a ribbon or a twist tie and lean them to one side in an extra-wide-mouthed vase.
• Poppies’ curling stems rule out structured arrangements. Put a bunch in a tall vase for a loose, extravagant look, or place two or three stems in a bottle or a decanter.
   

Maintain

• Tulips can grow after they’re cut, changing shape; trim them vigilantly.
• Tall stems have more leaves, which decompose and pollute the water; change it at least every three days. Alejandro Saralegui, a landscape designer in Wainscott, New York, uses Floralife Crystal Clear, a citric acid formula, to extend the life of blooms. 

tree & shrub blossoms

Fruit trees bear flowers ranging from pure white to hot pinkish red. Some of the most popular are cherry (shown, far left), quince (shown, center), and apple (shown, right). Also look for crab apple, plum, and, for a jolt of yellow, the nonfruiting forsythia bush.

Trim

• Start tall. Height is an advantage of branches; you can always trim as you go.
• Cut branches on a diagonal (if they’re thick, use pruning shears or shrub pruners). Then split each one up from the bottom about an inch, or use a vegetable peeler to peel the bark off the bottom two inches. Don’t mash them; splitting is less traumatic and allows just as much water in.

Arrange 

• Mixing varieties is fine, says Saralegui, “but keep things fairly symmetrical―short cherry blossoms with tall dogwood branches will just look strange.”
• Branch arrangements can be top-heavy. Make sure your container is sturdy enough to resist tipping. For more stability and a wider arrangement, use a shorter, broader vessel.
  
   

Maintain

• Tepid water is best―cold water delays branches’ already slow blooming. Murk and bacteria accumulate much faster with branches than with stems, so check the water daily (if you use an opaque vase and can’t assess the water, simply expect a shorter life span).
• Trim branches every few days, splitting or shaving as you go.
• As with long stems, a tablespoon or a capful of a good floral food helps prolong the spectacle. You can prune out wilted blossoms and adjust your arrangement to suit its new, sparser shape.

 

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Mothers

 I posted this cute clip on

Miner Moments

a few years ago and thought how fitting for today!

Happy Mother's Day!

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Tuesday Tip - Best Ways to Pack for a Trip

The first step to an excellent vacation is to take everything you need

 — and make sure it's wearable once you arrive.

Minimize wrinkles by rolling, not folding, three to four pieces together, with knits on the inside; for even better results, wrap the bundle in a dry-cleaning bag. And tie a ribbon on your luggage (not solid red — that's what everyone uses), so it's easier to spot at the airport.  Check out the more wrinkle-free packing tips by Martha below:

via Good Housekeeping

You could bring daily pills in one of these organizers — or just repurpose it as a carrier for delicate rings, earrings, watches, and necklaces. The small compartments are perfect for keeping jewelry from banging around or, worse, getting tangled.

via Good Housekeeping

More Packing Tips from Martha

via Martha Stewart

Before you can pack properly for a trip, you need to determine your priorities. For a business trip or a formal event such as a wedding, you'll want to keep clothes in perfect, crease-free condition. But if you're packing for a hike in the mountains or a drive down the California coast, you might tolerate a few wrinkles in exchange for an extra pair of walking shoes squeezed into your baggage. Experiment with the following packing methods until you find the one that best suits your travel style.

Hanging

For the most foolproof wrinkle-free packing, suits and blouses should be stuffed with tissue and encased in dry-cleaning bags before going into a travel garment bag. The tissue keeps the fabrics from crushing, and the plastic reduces friction so clothes can settle into their natural shape. Pack everything else -- shoes, toiletries, books, papers, valuables -- in a separate carry-on bag.

Layering

Instead of using tissue paper to stuff clothing, try layering garments over one another so each layer pads the next. For example, begin with a pair of pants folded over the bar of a hanger, then hang a sweater around it. A silk shirt can go over that, and a jacket over the shirt. Slip on a plastic dry-cleaning bag last, and place the whole thing in a garment bag; or fold, and set into a duffel.

Overlapping

Keep delicate clothes from wrinkling by folding them around cushiony items like sweaters and knit shirts. Place the top half of a pair of pants in your suitcase, for example, smooth a sweater over that, and fold the pant legs up over the sweater. Never fold clothes more times than is necessary to fit them in a bag -- once across the middle should be enough for most sweaters and blouses.

Rolling

Fill the corners of suitcases and duffels with clothes rolled into little sausages. This way you can distribute lots of items evenly throughout a small bag. This method saves the most space but is best for casual clothing -- blouses or blazers will rumple.

Toiletries

To avoid leaks caused by pressure changes during air travel, fill travel-size plastic bottles partway, squeeze out excess air, and cap them, creating a vacuum. Then double-bag them, first in a cosmetics bag or large resealable plastic bag, then in a plastic shopping bag. Never pack toiletries in the same bag with clothes -- a single spill can cause great damage. Along with toiletries, your carry-on bag should hold your jewelry and other valuables; eyewear; a travel first-aid kit; travel documents; maps; and reading material.

Shoes

To protect shoes from scuffing and being crushed, stuff them with tissue or socks, and slip them into fabric show bags or plastic bags.

Do You Know?
If you run out of space in your bag before you've packed everything, there's a way to get more in: Drop the bag on the floor a few times, then open it -- things will have settled, and you'll find extra room.

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How to Make Speckled Eggs

Dye your own Beautiful Eggs for a Fresh Spring Table

Via Southern Living

For Tea-Stained Eggs: 

Add 2 tea bags to glass of hot water and allow to steep. Lower egg into water for several minutes until desired color is reached. Set aside to dry. 

For blue eggs:  

Combine 1 drop of blue food coloring with 1 drop of green food coloring in glass of water. Feel free to play with different amounts of food coloring to adjust the color. Lower egg into water and set aside to dry. 

To Speckle Eggs: 

Use one bottle of brown craft paint and a toothbrush. Dip brush into paint and lightly splatter and dab around the egg to achieve a random, lightly dotted pattern. Allow to dry.

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Fun Easter Treat

Easter Bunny Pops

Ladies Home Journal

  Get the Recipe  

HERE

 

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Tuesday Tip - Easter Egg Safety

One Dozen Easter Egg Safety Tips

If you're planning to decorate Easter eggs this year, here are a dozen egg safety tips to help you and your family stay healthy.

by Danilo Alfaro, About.com Guide

1. Use one set of eggs for decorating and hunting, and another for eating. Or to be really safe, use plastic eggs for your Easter egg hunt instead of real ones.
2. Keep everything clean. Wash utensils, counter tops and other surfaces that eggs come in contact with. That includes washing your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water before and after handling raw eggs or cooked eggs that will be eaten.
3. Coloring Easter eggs can be fun, but if you're planning to eat the eggs you dye, make sure that you only use food-grade dyes.
4. Keep hard-boiled eggs intended for eating in the refrigerator until the last possible minute.
5. Check the temperature of your refrigerator with an appliance thermometer to make sure that it is at 40°F or colder.
6. Under no circumstances let anyone eat eggs that have been unrefrigerated (whether at room temperature or outside) for more than two hours.
7. If you hollow out eggshells by blowing the raw egg through holes in the shell, you could expose yourself to salmonella from raw egg touching your mouth. To be safe, use pasteurized shell eggs. If pasteurized eggs aren't available, you should sanitize the outside of the egg before it touches your mouth. To do so, wash the egg in hot water and rinse it in a solution of 1 teaspoon chlorine bleach per half cup of water.
8. If you plan to use the raw eggs you have blown out of their shells, cook and eat them right away — don't try to store them.
9. When preparing hard-boiled eggs for an egg hunt, be on the lookout for cracks in the shells. Even tiny cracks can allow bacteria to contaminate the egg. Eggs that have any cracks whatsoever should be discarded.
10. If you're hiding eggs outside, choose the cleanest hiding places you can, and avoid areas that pets or other animals might visit.
11. Keep track of time to ensure that the hiding and hunting time don't exceed a cumulative 2 hours. And remember, the eggs that are found must be refrigerated right away — or discarded if the 2 hour limit is exceeded.
12. Nothing lasts forever! Even hard-boiled eggs that have been refrigerated properly must be eaten within 7 days of cooking.

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Spotted

Guess who was spotted again?

Bunny Bloomers

 were spotted in the  

Cotton Tales Treasury.

Go HERE to see all the fun items listed.

Cream Polka Dot Giraffe

 is featured at  

Dot Dot Dot.

Check out this happy little place HERE .

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Hippity, Hoppity

Hippity, Hoppity, Easter's on it's way!

Someone spotted these cute "Bunny Bloomers" 

from the Pineapple Hill Etsy store

and they are featured 

in an Etsy "Easter" Treasury.

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