Friday, February 3, 2012

Inexpensive Kids Birthday Party Locations

Inexpensive Kids Birthday Party Locations-Homemade Cookies

While throwing your child a birthday party is high on any parents list, most people don't want to spend a fortune for the celebration. Depending on the time of year and your budget, there are some great options for the location of the party (other than your home).

Homemade Cookies

If you do decide to throw a party outside your home, be sure to include your child in the location decision. If the child is young, you may want to bring them to the location prior to the party so that they can get comfortable and excited about the upcoming event. Most kids look forwarding to opening their presents at the end of their party. So whatever option you choose, make sure you set aside a special place where all the party goers can place the birthday gifts.

1. Town Park Shelter. Many local communities offer rental shelters at the parks where they have picnic tables, grills and play equipment for the kids. The older children can go play while the adults hang out. The food doesn't have to be gourmet, instead keep it simple and easy like barbecuing hot dogs or burgers or a couple baked lasagnas with salad. Follow up with a fun birthday cake from your local warehouse club, grocery store or your own kitchen.

2. Fast Food Restaurant. Both McDonald's and Hardees offer kids parties that include a party hostess, food and cake at reasonable prices. The other great thing about these restaurants is that many have Playlands or plastic ball pits so that the kids can be entertained while the adults chit-chat and relax a bit.

3. Children's or Science Museum. If you have a larger budget, a local science or children's museum can be a great place to hold a birthday party. Some places have party hostesses and provide some supplies, so just check what they provide in your city. You may only need to bring a birthday cake and presents.

4. Movie Theater. Many towns have inexpensive or dollar show theaters that will rent out the entire theater or give you big group discount as well as discounts on snacks and soda. Some theaters will let you bring in some of your own snacks and a cake so just check and see what can be done at your local theater by speaking with the manager.

5. Neighborhood Club House. If you live in a planned community, chances are that you have a club house in your neighborhood or apartment complex. Often these rooms are either free or can be rented for a nominal fee by residents. The club house would likely give you more room than your home, but it would still be close enough that you could set up the birthday party relatively easily. Not to mention, you don't have to clean your house!

6. Local Fire Department. Often times, local fire departments have rooms that they will allow local residents utilize for free or for a nominal fee. Some fire departments will even give the children of a private birthday party a tour of the department and let them try on some of the firefighters' gear and get their photos taken. These pictures make great keepsake gifts for all the children.

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Sweet 16 Birthday Cake Ideas

Sweet 16 Birthday Cake Ideas-Homemade

A sixteenth birthday is always special. A 16-year-old is a class on his own - he or she is no longer considered a child, but is not an adult quite yet. This makes the planning for the birthday party hard, since you wouldn't want it to look like a children's party, but you don't want it to be too "adult" as well. Here are some sweet 16 birthday cake ideas that you can use.

Homemade

Since the celebrant is young, color themes should also be young. Cake colors should be light, such as cream, pink, yellow and peach. Light blue shades as well as lilac and lavender may also be used. The colors and cake design must match the theme of the party. A layered fondant cake with pink or peach flower trimmings is ideal for parties with a costume ball theme. Celebrant can look like a princess with a balloon pink gown and tiara, and guests would wear costumes.

Another cake idea for the princess theme is to make small cupcakes and put them in a multi-layered cake stand. Trim them with little flowers made of icing. When arranged well, the cakes would look like little pots of flowers in a flower garden. You can use one color, or mixed pastel shades of pink, yellow and light orange. This cake would also be perfect if the party has a ballerina theme. A fairy theme would also be nice, with guests carrying wands and wearing shimmering pink wings.

With small round cupcakes, put colored frosting on top and arrange them so the cake would look like bubbles or balloons. This would look cute for a children's party theme, where guests can dress up like little kids. Instead of round cupcakes, you can also make square or rectangular ones, and decorate each with colored frosting to make them look like tiny gift boxes. With a little creativity, have fun with a frosting bag and create patterns to simulate gift wrapping paper and ribbons. Or you can decorate them to look like little colored trucks or cars. This cake idea can be used for any party theme.

For large parties, 16 photo cakes can be arranged to make a photo album cake. Photos of the celebrant from age 1 to 16 can be placed on each cake. Wouldn't it be fun for guests to see how the celebrant has grown and changed through the years?

So the next time someone turns sweet 16, finding birthday cake ideas should not be that difficult. You can browse through the internet and find pictures so you can show them to your baker. At this day and age, virtually any cake design is possible. So use your imagination, and be amazed at where it will take you.

Related articles:Spring Valley Vitamins ,ทำ seo ,ดาราจัดฟัน

Monday, January 23, 2012

Homemade Baked Beans Recipe

Homemade Baked Beans Recipe-Homemade

If you're looking for a good "homemade baked beans recipe" recipe - this is the place! Everyone loves some good baked beans, but most recipes call for them to be in a crockpot. Mine doesn't, instead I use can beans and cook them on the stove top. It's true, you could just buy a fancy can of Bush's baked beans, but it's just not the same as making your own homemade baked beans and letting them simmer of the stove as the flavors meld together! These are equally as good in the summer with a BBQ as they are in the winter on a cold blistery day!

Homemade

3 cans great northern or navy beans, or 1 - 48oz jar or Randall's mixed beans (drained) 1 small onion (diced) 2 cloves garlic (diced) 1 cup barbeque sauce 1/2 cup ketchup 1 Tablespoon mustard 1/4 cup brown sugar 3-4 strips of chopped cooked bacon (if you like)

Drain each can of beans and pour into a sauce pan. Add all other ingredients and cook on medium high heat until it boils, then cover and reduce to low heat and simmer for one hour. If you're in a real hurry, you can cook on high for 10 minutes and serve (it just won't taste as good!).

In the winter time you can cook this on the stove and let it simmer while making the main dish, but in the summer I like to just put the pot on the grill and let the beans simmer while I grill my meat. By the time the meat is done, the beans are usually done shortly after. There are all kinds of beans you can experiment with on this recipe as well, I usually end up using what I have on hand at the time. So I may use Pinto beans, Chili Beans, Mexican Beans - and even though you're making "homemade beans" it doesn't mean that you can't utilize any leftovers that you may have around. For instance, if I grill out and have left over burgers and beans, the next day I may chop up the leftover cooked burgers and thrown them in the beans and simmer for 20-30 minutes and eat! I've used thrown in leftover taco meat, sloppy joe, and even chicken. Technically that makes the "homemade baked beans" more like a chili - but it's ok to change it up a bit! Another thing that's fun with this recipe is to add some cubed cheese of any kind just minutes before it's done. That melted cheese can make it a big hit with everyone in the house!

Related articles:Spring Valley Vitamins ,ทำ seo

Thursday, January 12, 2012

9 Steps How to Build a DIY Greenhouse

9 Steps How to Build a DIY Greenhouse

Why build a greenhouse?
Let's face it you most likely have dreamed about owning a greenhouse, at least once in your life. They are fun, extremely relaxing, healthy, and have many other benefits. Well, the time to turn those thoughts into reality is now. The fact is our environment is in trouble, everyone knows it. It needs people like you to help give back the gift of life.

You may not have ever thought about building your own greenhouse, most likely because you thought it would be extremely difficult. Well, I am here to tell you that it is easier than you think. Building a greenhouse from scratch is not rocket science, it is actually very simple and is something to be proud of. I have compiled this list of 9 simple and key steps to take when building your own greenhouse. Don't worry or think you can't do this, because you can! With that said, lets get into it.

The 9 Steps:
Use Salvaged Materials In Greenhouse Construction
Step #1 Think about using salvaged materials if you want to build a large greenhouse - this will keep costs lower, so more resources can go into heating and irrigation systems.

Greenhouse Temperature and Shade
Step #2. Take your climate into account. If you live in a temperate or cold region, then you'll want to build an insulated greenhouse. If you live in a warmer climate, then you'll want to have shade control as well - and in a desert region, you'll need both!

Ventilation Greenhouse Plans
Step #3. Be sure to plan for adequate ventilation and air circulation as well as heat and humidity control. Think about the plants you plan to grow in your greenhouse and design a climate accordingly. Greenhouse ventilation is easy to do and something that is truly necessary, or your plants may suffer.

Choosing Greenhouse Location
Step #4. Build your greenhouse is a spot where it will receive plenty of sunlight. You'll want to give your greenhouse eastern and western exposure, especially if you plan to grow vegetables and fruits. This will provide ample sunlight to ensure fruiting in these plants. Semi-shaded areas won't hurt anything, if that is your only option.

Greenhouse Construction Materials
Step #5. Decide on a siding for your greenhouse. The best materials are glass (which can be expensive) or fiberglass. Both of these materials offer greater durability, since they do not break down as quickly as plastic siding. These materials will also make for a warmer, more humid greenhouse. You could also pick out greenhouse polycarbonate panels, which are shatter proof and nearly impossible to break. They are extremely safe and can withstand some pretty strong winds.

Picking Your Greenhouse Base
Step #6. Choose your foundation. You can use concrete, which offers a stable foundation. You can also go for a simpler foundation using salvaged materials such as railroad ties. Your foundation will affect the cost of your greenhouse, so keep your budget in mind when deciding on this.

Additional Greenhouse Heating And Greenhouse Irrigation
Step #7. If there's room in your budget, add elements which will make your greenhouse more convenient and comfortable for you as a gardener. Heating and irrigation systems are a great addition and are in fact essential in some climates. Adding benches so you can relax and enjoy your greenhouse is also a great idea - you can even have a garden party in the dead of winter!

Using Greenhouse Pest Control
Step #8. Use organic pest control methods such as introducing natural predators which can keep the population of problematic insects down. Also, quarantining a plant which is infested with pests can control the spread of damage from these pests.

Plan Greenhouse Construction Space For Storage
Step #9. Be sure to plan some space for storage. You'll want somewhere to keep your tools, fertilizer and potting soil. Consider placing a tool rack and a bin to keep soil and fertilizer near your potting bench for convenience. You could also use buckets or specially designed tool holders to keep your equipment handy for when you're puttering around the greenhouse. Small greenhouse grow racks work awesome in situations where people are tight on space, I highly recommend looking into those.

Why a do it yourself greenhouse?
There are so many reasons but it is cheaper than buying one, environmentally friendly, relaxing, and really it is something you can take pride in. Wouldn't you like to brag to your neighbors about your awesome hand build greenhouse? Also will be jealous of your garden in no time, its a fact!

Why should you follow these 9 steps?
These steps are the 9 most important and biggest problems people face when a building DIY greenhouse. Not taking these steps into account could very turn into a huge inconvenience. All you have to do is stick to these guidelines and you will be GROW ing wild in no time!

9 Steps How to Build a DIY Greenhouse Related articles: Spring Valley Vitamins , ทำseo

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Homemade Weed Killer

Homemade Weed Killer

Everyone wants to kill all of the weeds in their yard and have a nice clean field of green. There are so many weed killer products available that you can really never know which ones work. What you may not know is that there are some ways to make a homemade weed killer.

If you are cautious of the environment and don't want to end up killing your grass and your weeds you should look into an alternative to regular toxic weed killers. With all of the toxins in the environment some people don't want to further pollute the air we all breathe. I love natural solutions to everyday problems. Here is a great homemade weed killer.

1 tablespoon of gin or vivegar

1 teaspoon of dish soap

1 gallon of hot water

What you can then do is put this into an old spray bottle or pour it over the weeds. I prefer to spray it on the weeds. When you are spraying your new homemade weed killer be careful no to spray the grass. The vinegar will kill the weeds but it could also kill some grass. You should spray the weed killer during a sunny and hot day. After the weeds bake in the sun for a couple of days the weeds will be dead.

If you are worried about your grass then you should be very careful when spraying the solution. Basically the vinegar kills the weeds and the soap makes the vinegar stick to the leaves of the weeds. Always remember to protect yourself as well. You will probably want to wear your gardening gloves so your hands don't get covered in vinegar and you end up with stinky hands.

The great thing about using this solution is that it is natural. Natural solutions are essential for a cleaner environment. Although this may seem impossible, every effort helps. The homemade weed killer will also provide natural chemicals that will help keep the rest of your yard nice and green.

Homemade Weed Killer Related articles: Spring Valley Vitamins , ทำseo

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Top 10 Romantic Anniversary Ideas

Top 10 Romantic Anniversary Ideas

It can be hard to think up new romantic anniversary ideas. But believe me, its worth making the change from the usual "dinner and a movie" routine..

An anniversary is the best opportunity of the year to show your partner how much they mean to you.

Here are some great romantic anniversary ideas to keep you from getting stuck in a romance rut. Or maybe even help rekindle an old flame.

1. Take them out for a romantic nighttime picnic. Find a spot that overlooks an amazing view, like a natural lake or cityscape, or the top of a tall hill. Create a beautiful backdrop with the view you choose.

Pack your picnic full of goodies that you know your partner loves. Like wine, chocolate covered strawberries, hot chocolate, cookies, a salad or some homemade sandwiches.

2. Make them a home cooked candlelight dinner. Try these tips to make it extra special:

* Enhance the mood by playing romantic songs in the background

* Dim the lights and have candles create a romantic glow

* Fill the room with their favorite type of flowers

* Scatter rose petals on the dinner table

3. Bring back fond memories by taking your partner back to the place that you had your first date. Recreate it. Make everything that you do the exact same as that special night. Recreate all of the tiniest little details, such as music you listened to, places you went, the car you drove, etc.

Pay close attention to all the small details. The more thought your partner will know you put into it.

4. Secretly take your partner on a surprise romantic weekend getaway.
To make it a surprise, make it seem like you're taking them on a usual day trip that's not very exciting. Then take them to the airport and surprise them with the tickets to the romantic destination of their dreams.
To make it all run smooth, you can pre-pack their things, and arrange for them to have time off at work.

5. Gather up all of the old pictures ever taken of the two of you and make a romantic photo album or scrapbook. This gift is very thoughtful, and can be done by you alone, or you can spend an evening making it together. When you're done, the album should be full of special memories the two of you can cherish forever.

6. Take your partner to the neighborhood that they grew up in. Let them see their old home, where they went to school, and any other places they have mentioned over the years. This should bring back a flood of precious memories for them that they can share with you.

7. Show up at their work with an oversized box of chocolates and flowers. Do it right in front of everyone so they will all see. But only do it if they will like the special attention. Don't do it if they are the type of person that will get embarrassed.

8. Create a romantic bedroom makeover. Its probably something your partner will never expect.

Use soft and silky fabrics, rose petals, scented candles, romantic music, and top it all off with an intimate sensual massage.

9. Go for a romantic photo shoot together. This will give you sensual and romantic photos that will last a lifetime! (A common favorite are black and white photos).
You can make them as sexy, or romantic as you like.

There are lots of photographers to choose from. So search around until you find one that suites what you're looking for.

10. Print some free romantic love coupons to give to your partner. They're fun and flirty, and you can find them for free (see the website below). Or you can purchase them at any love store. Not only are they thoughtful, but you can customize them and choose to print off whichever romantic gestures you like.

I hope these romantic anniversary ideas have helped you find the best way for you to show your love. No matter what you choose to do, or how you do it. If you do it for them you can't go wrong!

Top 10 Romantic Anniversary Ideas Related articles: Spring Valley Vitamins , ทำseo

Monday, January 9, 2012

History of the Cookie Chocolate Chip Creation

History of the Cookie Chocolate Chip Creation

Most people don't know how the cookie chocolate chip creation first began. This is in fact one of the few cookie flavours that originated from the United States. A lot of the other cookies eaten today were at the outset created in other countries, over seas and have been modified to American tastes. Including these cookie chip chunks of chocolate in the mix really do make them delicious and they appeal to nearly everyone. These are very well-liked cookies among kids.

Chocolate chip cookies originally were made with white sugar, brown sugar, butter, and semi-sweet chips of chocolate. A lot of chocolate chip cookies now have only white sugar, margarine instead of butter, white chocolate or dark chocolate chips, and some variations even toss in a little oatmeal or a quantity of nuts to the mix. For the most part individuals have their own ways that they favour, but the pre-made chocolate chip cookie dough in the stores is commonly created in the traditional method.

Like the most well-liked inventions, this type of cookie was an accident. It was developed in 1933 by the proprietor of an inn in Massachusetts. She in addition had a restaurant at the time that was very well known. One of the perks provided by the restaurant was homemade cookies for dessert. In 1936, she published a recipe book including the recipe for the chocolate chip cookie she had made and many of her other creations were also listed in it.

Many different versions exist as to how the cookie chocolate chip creation originated. One was from a chef who worked at the inn at that time. According to him, some chocolate bars were dislodged by the mixer that was making up a batch of cookie dough; the chocolate bars were above the mixer on a shelf. As the bars fell into the dough, they were smashed into little chunks. By the time the proprietor realised what had happened it was too late but she baked them all anyway as she didn't want to waste the dough.

The common account tells of how the proprietor of the inn was making cookies and ran out of bakers' chocolate so she substituted semi-sweet chocolate.

During WWII, GIs that were from Massachusetts shared their cookies with other soldiers. The other soldiers wrote to the owner of the inn requesting her recipe.
The soldiers wanted to know the recipe so that they could pass it on to their friends and family. Their relations would then be able to create the same cookies and mail them to the soldiers.

These cookies are still extremely popular today regardless of how they originated. The majority of cookbooks supply at least one variation of the chocolate cookie mix and from time to time there are many variations in the same book.

This cookie chocolate chip with chunks of chocolate stirred into it was honoured by Massachusetts. Massachusetts made it the Official State Cookie. These cookie chip chunk creations will carry on to have alterations made all through the years, but the majority of individuals have a tendency to fall back on the earliest chocolate chip cookie that all began with a kitchen accident in a Massachusetts' inn.

History of the Cookie Chocolate Chip Creation Related articles: Spring Valley Vitamins , ทำseo

Inexpensive Ideas In Making Wedding Centerpieces

Inexpensive Ideas In Making Wedding Centerpieces

One practical way to cut down the wedding expenses is to consider do-it-yourself ideas. There are several parts of your wedding where you can save money by making them yourself. Aside from the popular homemade wedding favors that most brides are opting these days, wedding centerpieces can also be made by yourself. It might sounds challenging, but not all centerpieces are difficult to do.

Wedding centerpieces have been a traditional part of decorating a wedding. They can be anything that fits the theme of the event. If you want to create your own centerpieces, make sure to consider your wedding theme. Also, they have to match the color as well as the feel of your event.

If you are looking for DIY wedding centerpiece ideas that are easy to make you might want to consider edible wedding centerpieces. These are the type that come in nearly all forms that you can imagine. They may include candies, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, wines, and a lot more. When done beautifully, you can make a nice center of attraction that can start a conversation at your reception.

There are lots of online instructions on how to make edible wedding centerpieces at home. You can create cheap edible centerpieces such as lifelike candy flowers of almost every kind. You are free to add some special accents to the rest of candy flowers for further enhancement. You may also consider hand-sculptured white sugar gardenias that are easy to make as well.

If candies are not your type, and what you are craving for is chocolate, you can have a chocolate fountain as your buffet centerpiece. Provide the guests with strawberries, which will also be sitting around the fountain or maybe bread sticks if you like. A chocolate fountain can double as dessert for the guests too.

Homemade cookies can also make wonderful wedding centerpieces. These are cheap to make, and you can be very creative on these ideas. If you are good at baking, it is an advantage on your part because you cannot just create your own centerpieces with your personal touch, but you can also save a sum and use it for other more important items. On the cookies, you might want to consider adding your monograms or some other charms you want. One popular way to decorate cookies is adding frosting on the top of the cookies. Homemade cupcakes are also a great option you may consider. Bake your little cupcakes and arrange them on a layered holder that looks like they are a real wedding cake when seen from afar.

Do-it-yourself wedding ideas are practical options to save money on your wedding supplies. The Internet can help you make whatever you want to make. You can also shop online for DIY kits and other materials you will need in making your own wedding centerpieces, wedding favors, invitations, gifts and the like. If you decided to indulge in DIY wedding crafts, be creative and enjoy what you are doing. Above all, start as early as possible and consider your budget.

Inexpensive Ideas In Making Wedding Centerpieces Related articles: Spring Valley Vitamins , ทำseo

Homemade Plans to Build a Homemade Wind Turbine

Homemade Plans to Build a Homemade Wind Turbine

In today's day in age, everyone is looking for better ways to take care of our mother earth. You are probably already doing a small part by recycling, reusing and even reducing the amount of waste that you use. There are other people that go even further and get a set of homemade plans and build there own homemade wind turbine and use this free renewable energy to power there homes.

You are maybe wondering how, well it is quite easy. Homemade plans to build a wind turbine can be found online, now some of these plans and guides are useless, and the only info that they give you can be found by anyone with a little research. The homemade plans that I recently bought showed me where to get 90% of the materials for free, and the materials that I couldn't find for free I got on eBay for next to nothing.

Another great thing about the homemade plans was that they not only showed me how to build a homemade wind turbine they also showed me how to put it all together, which direction to install it to get the most wind for the greatest amount of power and the bonus part was that I even got plans on how to build homemade solar panels as well.

Basically what I am telling you is that you can convert the limitless power of wind and sun into electrical energy and to build your own energy devices at home with less than 0. That's very cheap considering that you'll recover the money you've invested within the first month and you don't need to be an engineer or to have a a college degree to understand this.

Are you using all your home's comfort completely guilt free, laughing at rising energy prices, while saving the environment? If not now is your chance for free energy, Solar and Wind Energy

Homemade Plans to Build a Homemade Wind Turbine Related articles: Spring Valley Vitamins , ทำseo

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Homemade Cleaning Products - 5 Homemade Cleaning Recipes For Your Carpet

Homemade Cleaning Products - 5 Homemade Cleaning Recipes For Your Carpet

Here are some simple, easy to make homemade cleaning products to keep you carpets in the best condition. Since these are homemade cleaning recipes you can opt to use all non-toxic ingredients or at the very least minimize the chemicals you do include.

Most of these homemade cleaning recipes are completely non-toxic, some though do have ingredients that while cheap are toxic, and should be handled with care. Below is a summary of the ingredients used in the recipes.

Non-toxic ingredients:

Baking soda White vinegar club soda

Toxic ingredients:

Hair spray Ammonia

1. Ballpoint Ink

Hair spray 2/3 cups water 1/3 cup vinegar

Combine the water and vinegar to make a solution.

Saturate the stain with the hairspray and let it dry.

Brush lightly with the water/vinegar solution.

2. Dirt (1)

2 tablespoons hand washing detergent 3-4 tablespoons vinegar 4 cups warm water

Mix all ingredients making suds.

Skim suds (but not the liquid below) with a hard bristle brush. Brush suds in circles over stains or dirt.

Rinse with damp towels.

Blot dry thoroughly with clean dry towels.

3. Dirt (2)

1 cup warm water 2 tablespoons vinegar (or 1 tablespoon of non-suds ammonia)

Combine water and vinegar to make a solution.

Dip a hard bristle brush into the solution and brush solution over stains or dirt.

Rinse with damp towels.

Blot dry thoroughly with clean dry towels.

4. Red Wine

Wet a cloth with white wine and rub into the stain.

Rinse with a damp cloth.

Dry with another cloth.

5. Instant Spot Removers

Rub in club soda with a sponge and wait for several minutes.

Sponge of the club soda completely.

These homemade cleaning products for cleaning carpets really work well and as you see don't cost much. I hope you enjoy using them.

Homemade Cleaning Products - 5 Homemade Cleaning Recipes For Your Carpet Related articles: Spring Valley Vitamins , ทำseo

Homemade Favors For Weddings - A Special Touch

Homemade Favors For Weddings - A Special Touch

One of the memorable events in a woman's life is her wedding. All women look forward to their wedding day as the most magical day of their lives. Most women imagine and make imaginary plans for their wedding right from their playing days. It is no surprise that when the D-day comes the preparations gain a special perspective and meaning.

Adding A Personal Touch

Many people chose to buy their wedding favors ready-made or order it to their particular specifications to the wedding planner. The wedding favors are definitely one of the most beautiful aspects of the wedding as this is what would commemorate this wonderful day in the minds of all the friends and relatives who have chosen to be with you on this wonderful occasion.

The Advantage Of Homemade Favors

If you have the time and the talent, the best would be to make your own wedding favors. Of course, this would be feasible only when the wedding guest list is reasonable enough to make the effort worthwhile. If you are planning for a mega-wedding it might not be a good idea unless you have an army of staff who could carry out your orders.

There are many advantages that come with the homemade wedding favors:

1. Personal touch - whatever you choose to make, whether these are home baked cookies, chocolates, home made wine, embroidered hankies, multi purpose boxes, etc. when you do it yourself at home it has your personal touch. Therefore it increases in value as the person who receives it feels the love and effort that has taken you to create it.

2. Cost effectiveness - the expenses of a wedding would more often than not go through the roof as a rule and not as an exception. This is because no matter how well it is planned, there are always something left to make it a little better and that difference is usually costs money. Homemade favors usually are effort intensive, yet a little easy on the pocket. There are many things that one can do exceptionally well at less than one tenth of the price of a bought favor.

3. Customization - this is one of the most important aspects of a gift - personalization of customization. When the favors are homemade, you have the luxury to personalize each one of it to match their recipient. This in turn would make your guests feel cherished and loved better than anything else.

Homemade Favors For Weddings - A Special Touch

Saturday, January 7, 2012

What Can You Do With Your Food Storage?

What Can You Do With Your Food Storage?

You need to plan your food storage in terms of what you can actually MAKE out of the items. Wheat will do you no good if you don't have other baking items necessary to make edible food out of it. Using the information from the book Marlene's Magic with Food Storage as a general guideline, I have compiled a list of different food items you can cook depending on what items you currently have in your food storage. This should be a starting point for anyone when determining which items to begin accumulating or to see what items you should add to really enhance your meal options.

I would suggest getting a 3 month supply of all of these items first, and then moving on to a full year's worth of food. You don't want to end up with a year's supply of wheat and unable to make even a loaf of bread because you don't have the other ingredients.

Foods You Can Make Using Common Food Storage Items

If You ONLY Have: Water, Wheat, Salt, Shortening or Oil

You Can Make:Sprouted wheatCooked cracked wheatCooked whole wheatWheat grassGluten (a strange bread-type food that has a very high protein content)Tortillas
Just Add: Powdered Milk, Powdered Eggs, Honey or Sugar, Flour

And You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:Wheat puddingGerman pancakesCrepesPasta
Just Add: Yeast, Baking Powder, Baking Soda

And You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:Puddings/custardsPancakesSome varieties of cookiesWafflesMuffins/English muffinsBreadsBiscuitsSome varieties of crackers
Just Add: Tomatoes, Powdered Butter and Cheese, Unflavored Gelatin, Canned Milk, Canned Fruits

And You Can Make the Items Above PLUS: Meatless dinnersMeatless casserolesCream saucesJello saladsWhipped cream dessertsBaby formula
Just Add: Rice, Legumes, Beef/Chicken Broth, Canned Meats, Dried Potatoes, Dehydrated Vegetables

And You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:Lots of great chunky soupsChiliRefried beansRice dinnersRice puddingsSandwichesMany different dinners and casseroles
Just Add: Extras such as Oats, Raisins, Nuts, Spices, Juice, Peanut Butter, Cream of Tarter, etc.

And You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:A wide variety of almost any type of food you would want to cook
Summary

As you can see, with a bit of planning (and a fabulous food storage recipe book on hand), you can be confident that you will be able to create healthy, filling, comforting meals for your family should a true emergency occur. It will also be helpful to start using and rotating through these foods in your every day cooking so that you can find the recipes your family likes, get them used to eating these foods, and ensure that all of your storage retains its maximum freshness.

What Can You Do With Your Food Storage?

Friday, January 6, 2012

How to Make Beef Jerky in the Oven - The Homemade Beef Jerky Guide

How to Make Beef Jerky in the Oven - The Homemade Beef Jerky Guide

Jerky makes a delicious snack for the whole family and a great gift for friends. It's always nice to have some great jerky recipes to prepare.

I've listed 4 jerky recipes you can try at home:

1. Venison Jerky

Ingredients:

- 2 lb Venison
- 1 c Soy sauce
- 1 t Lemon juice
- 1/2 t Black pepper
- 1/4 t Garlic

Directions:

- Cut the venison in strips approximately 1/4 x 1 x 8-inches.
- Mix all ingredients and marinate venison approximately 10 hours turning once every hour.
- Smoke venison on grill until completely dry or you may use oven on low heat with venison spread out on broiler pan.

2. Deer Jerky

Ingredients:

- 3/4 C soy sauce
- 1 C worcestershire sauce
- 3 T kosher salt
- 2 T crushed black peppercorns
- 2 T graham marsala
- 1 T garlic powder
- 1 T onion powder
- 2 t Prague Powder #1

Directions:

- Combine in a blender, mix with sliced beef or venison in a white trash bag (in a metal container so you don't create a mess!).

- Refrigerate 24-36 hours, mixing occasionally. Dry about 15 hours at 125'F.

3. Deer Jerky

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 To 2 lbs lean boneless deer meat, partially frozen
- 1/4 c Soy sauce
- 1 tb Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 ts Ground pepper
- 1/4 ts Garlic powder
- 1/4 ts Onion powder
- 1/4 ts Hickory smoked salt
- 1/4 c Firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 sm Bottle liquid smoke

Directions:

- Trim all fat from the meat. Slice the meat as thinly as possible.
- In a bowl combine the remaining ingredients.
- Stir until dissolved.
- Add the meat and mix well.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Shake the excess liquid from the meat and arrange in a shallow pan or cookie sheet.
- Dry the meat in a 150F or 200 degree F oven until dry and brown, a minimum of 8 hours.
- Cool, remove from the pan, and store in a glass jar.

4. Chinese Beef Jerky

Ingredients:

- 3 lb Flank steak - or London broil
Marinade:
- 1/2 c Light soy sauce
- 4 1/2 tb Honey
- 4 1/2 tb Dry Sherry
- 6 lg Garlic cloves - minced
- 1 1/2 tb Ginger - fresh, minced
- 1 1/2 tb Sesame oil
- 1 1/2 tb Red pepper - crushed dash freshly ground white pepper

Directions:

- Cut meat in half lengthwise and slice diagonally crosswise into paper-thin strips 1-1/2 to 2 inches wide and 4 inches long.
- Transfer to shallow pan.
- Combine marinade ingredients and rub thoroughly into meat.
- Arrange meat on racks and let dry at cool room temperature overnight (do not refrigerate).
- Preheat oven to 250 F.
- Line two large baking sheets with foil and set wire rack(s) on top of each.
- Arrange meat on racks in single layer.
- Bake 30 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 175 F and continue drying meat another 40 minutes (meat should be lightly browned but not burned).
- Let meat continue to dry on racks at cool room temperature overnight before packing into jars.
- Dried meat can be brushed lightly with sesame oil for additional flavor and shine.

Makes 36 pieces or 10 buffet servings.

How to Make Beef Jerky in the Oven - The Homemade Beef Jerky Guide

Thursday, January 5, 2012

How to Make Onion Rings

How to Make Onion Rings

Onion rings are crunchy and delicious. They can be enjoyed with a steak or alongside your favorite southern fried chicken recipe. You can buy frozen onion rings and deep fry them but you might prefer to make your own onion rings once you realize how easy it is to do so.

You can make baked onion rings if you like but for an authentic flavor and a good crispiness, it is best to fry them like in restaurants and fast food outlets. Use yellow onions for delicious rings.

The easiest way to make the rings is to thinly slice an onion crosswise and then separate the slices into rings. You can keep the very small bits for another use.

Onion rings can be battered or covered with breadcrumbs, depending on personal preference, but a lot of people like to use breadcrumbs. Beer batter is another way to make very crispy onion rings because beer makes batter light and airy without giving it a beer flavor. Some people like to soak the onion rings in buttermilk before dipping them into a batter or flour mixture.

You can add herbs or spices to the batter if you want to. Spicy rings are nice to make and you can serve these with a steak or fried chicken recipe, as well as French fries, if you want to make some real comfort food. There are lots of different recipes so you can experiment and see which you and your family prefer.

Tasty Dips for Onions

Serve your favorite dip alongside your homemade onions recipe. This might be barbecue sauce, sweet and sour sauce, ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise.

You can make your own tasty dip by stirring some curry powder or mustard into mayonnaise. You might like to add a few drops of Tabasco sauce or hot sauce to liven it up even more.

Recipe for Old Fashioned Onion Rings

You will need:

1 onion, in 1/4 inch slices 1 egg 1 teaspoon salt Seasoned salt, to taste 1 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs 1 cup milk 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour 1 quart oil for deep fryingHow to make them:

Stir the baking powder and salt into the flour. Separate the onion slices into rings and dip them into the flour mixture to coat them. Stir the egg and milk into the flour with a fork, and then dip the onion rings into this batter.

Drain them on a wire rack until they stop dripping. You can put an aluminum foil-covered cookie sheet under the wire rack if you like, since this makes less mess.

Spread the breadcrumbs over a shallow dish and dip the onion into them. Turn them over to cover the other side too. The coating should stick well. Heat the oil to 365 degrees F in a deep fryer and fry the rings until they are golden brown. This will take a couple of minutes. Drain them on paper towels, season them with seasoned salt, and serve hot.

How to Make Onion Rings

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Vanilla Fudge Recipes - Easy Vanilla Fudge

Vanilla Fudge Recipes - Easy Vanilla Fudge

This quick and simple recipe is made with sweetened condensed milk.

3 cups white sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 1/4 cup condensed milk

1/4 pound butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a saucepan or double boiler, combine the white sugar, white syrup, condensed milk and butter. Cook over medium heat until fudge reaches the firm ball stage on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and beat in the vanilla extract.

Turn the fudge out onto a prepared sheet of buttered wax paper. Let cool. Cut into squares.

=> Fancy Vanilla Fudge

This is a deliciously mouthwatering homemade vanilla fudge recipe made with, white chocolate candy bar, marshmallow crème and pecans.

2 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

5 oz. can evaporated milk

2 cups marshmallow crème

8 oz. white chocolate candy bar

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Line a 9x13-inch pan with foil, let the foil extend over the sides of the pan. Butter foil thoroughly.

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and the milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue to boil for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat.

Add in the marshmallow crème, white chocolate bar, pecans and vanilla. Stir mixture until smooth. Pour into prepared pan. Let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until firm.

=> Walnut Vanilla Fudge

Here's a great homemade vanilla fudge with crunchy black walnuts.

1 package vanilla bits

2 cups sugar

5 oz. evaporated milk

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup black walnuts

7 oz. marshmallow crème

Directions

Grease a 9x9x2-inch pan.

In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, milk and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue boiling and stirring for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add in the vanilla bits, vanilla, walnuts and marshmallow crème, stirring until well blended. Pour fudge mixture into the prepared pan. Let cool. Cut into squares.

=> Cherry Vanilla Fudge

A rich, creamy and colorful fudge that's perfect for any occasion.

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup dairy sour cream

1/3 cup light corn syrup

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup Maraschino cherries, quartered

1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

Butter an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2-inch loaf pan.

In a microwaveable bowl, combine the sugar, sour cream, corn syrup, butter and salt. Microwave on high heat for 5 minutes. Stir well until the sugar is dissolved.

Microwave on high heat for another 6 minutes, or until the mixture reaches 236 degrees on a candy thermometer. Let stand for 15 minutes (do not stir).

Add in the vanilla and beat the mixture about 6 minutes (until it starts losing its gloss).

Stir in the cherries and walnuts. Pour into prepared pan. Let cool. Cut into squares.

Vanilla Fudge Recipes - Easy Vanilla Fudge

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

How to Make a Guy Jealous - 3 Tricks That NEVER Fail

How to Make a Guy Jealous - 3 Tricks That NEVER Fail

So you want to see the man you're eying for turning all green...you want to know how to make a guy jealous? The reasons why a woman would want to know how to make a guy jealous is almost countless.

It could be because they want their ex boyfriend back. Or maybe they want to grab his attention - the man that they adore. Perhaps she just wants to make sure that the man she's with truly cares for her. Did I mention the reasons are almost endless?!

Whatever your personal reason is, I know how it feels to be in a never-ending search for tips and tricks on how to make a guy jealous and NOT finding them. BUT that ends here! Let me spill down 3 tricks on how to turn your man into a green-eyed monster...making sure that he'll stick with you all the time and would fight to get your attention.

Let's bring these tricks to the plate!

How To Make A Guy Jealous Trick 1: Have fun!

If you're going to make your man jealous for you, you better turn your attention to other things aside from him. Get out there with your friends ad start doing the things you gals love doing the most. You can and MUST enjoy things like - watching movies, partying, sleeping over one of your friend's place, etc.

Just keep this in mind - HAVE FUN.

How To Make A Guy Jealous Trick 2: Turn yourself into someone worth chasing for.

A guy will only be jealous if they want someone that another guy also wants. And that means being attractive and appealing to men in general. This may involve visiting the gym regularly, eating the right kind of foods, etc. - anything that will keep you in great shape.

Not to mention you get the attention of the other males which will make him want you more.

How To Make A Guy Jealous Trick 3: Get out there and date someone else!

Remember, a guy will only chase you and be jealous if another man has also set your sights on you. Dating someone else create that situation.

Who knows, dating another guy might land you with a better partner.

How to Make a Guy Jealous - 3 Tricks That NEVER Fail

How to Make Delicious Homemade Alcoholic Ginger Beer

How to Make Delicious Homemade Alcoholic Ginger Beer

Making your own alcoholic ginger beer is a fun and easy project. It only takes two days to start a batch of ginger beer and you will enjoy the results for several months to come. In this recipe, everything is variable, so feel free to experiment and improvise.

Assemble the equipment and ingredients.
First you will need a ten liter (approx 2.6 gallon) plastic container, sterilized with boiling water. A bucket with a lid works fine. You will also need 2 kilograms (approx 4.4 lbs) or sugar, a couple thumbs of ginger root (cleaned and shredded), a teaspoon of cream of tartar, and misc spices (cloves, cinnamon, orange peel), a large spoonful of molasses, and a packet of instant bread yeast.

The next step is to boil all of the ingredients except for the yeast. You will basically be making a very sweet syrupy tea. Boil the ingredients long enough for the sugar to dissolve and to allow all of the flavors to mingle. Feel free to improvise with other spices during this step. You can also even add tea bags or fruit juice. Depending on the size of cooking pots you have available, you may have to do this in several batches. When you are finished, pour everything into your fermentation jug or bucket.

Allow the mixture to cool down for several hours until it reaches room temperature. Once it reaches room temperature, then you can add the yeast. Simply sprinkle the yeast over the mixture and then loosely cover the container. Make sure you do not have an airtight seal on the container. The beer will produce a lot of gas as it ferments and you don't want to risk a messy explosion.

Now you just have to wait. The yeast will slowly convert the sugar into alcohol. After a week or two you can filter out the solids by pouring the mixture through a cloth. Wait another 2-3 weeks and then start tasting it. At first it will taste very sweet. But as time goes by it will reach a drinkable balance of sweetness and alcohol. Don't be alarmed if you notice any sediment at the bottom of your container. This is a natural byproduct of the yeast.

The final step is to bottle your creation. When the beer is still slightly too sweet, strain the mixture one last time into another bucket. Try to leave all of the sediment behind. Pour the filtered mix into several empty soda or water bottles and tightly screw on the lids. This will allow the beer to naturally carbonate over a few days. Check the bottles frequently. They bottles will become hard with all of the carbonation. Be careful here. The yeast is still active and the beer will become more and more alcoholic over time. You may have to discharge some of the pressure periodically to avoid an explosion.

That is all there is too it. Put the bottles in the refrigerator for a few hours and then serve your delicious homemade ginger beer to your friends.

How to Make Delicious Homemade Alcoholic Ginger Beer

Monday, January 2, 2012

How To Make A Homemade Wine Fruit Fly Trap

How To Make A Homemade Wine Fruit Fly Trap

For the last three years I have teamed up with my nephew to make homemade wine from grapes. The grapes are fermented, pressed and transferred to demijohns with the extra going into gallon jugs. All this process takes place at his house and then I bring my share home.

Now the purpose of sharing this information about where we made the wine is important because for the last couple of years after I brought the wine home there has been a large number of fruit flies in my house. The fact that the whole process was not done at my home there shouldn't be any or just a few fruit flies flying about. Fortunately this wine season the flies were not as bad as the last one. However, in the previous year my wife and I would be having dinner with a glass of wine and when we went to have a sip there would be a fly or two floating in the wine and or flying around the glass trying to dive in. These flies became very annoying. How do I get rid of these little monsters was the question that kept running through my mind. Then the idea came to me - make a homemade wine fruit fly trap.

I set up the trap and to my astonishment it worked fantastically. Every day the number of flies floating in the wine increased. As this was my first time doing this, I didn't know how long to leave the wine before replacing it with fresh wine. To my surprise, after three or four days they had turned the wine into vinegar. I had heard this was possible and was one of the big reasons to keep fermenting wine covered. From that point on I would change the wine every two or three days. By end of the first week the number of flies that were being caught in the trap was decreasing and within two weeks they were gone. So this wine season just past I was all ready for these little pests.

To make a homemade wine fruit fly trap all you need is a short wide rimmed glass, plastic food wrap and of course homemade wine. Pour wine into the glass to a level of a quarter inch and tightly cover with plastic food wrap. Then puncture small holes (just big enough for the flies to enter inside the glass) in the plastic wrap in the center of the glass away from the rim of the glass. The reason for keeping the holes away from the rim is once the fruit flies are inside the glass they will walk on the plastic wrap staying close to the rim and you certainly do not want to give them a chance to escape.

For free step by step instructions to learn how to make homemade wine from fresh juice or grapes please visit http://www.greathomemadewine.ca

How To Make A Homemade Wine Fruit Fly Trap

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Quick and Easy Homemade Candy Recipes

Quick and Easy Homemade Candy Recipes

Even those with limited time can make homemade candy. These recipes use the microwave to help you make homemade candies in a matter of minutes. Cooling time varies but the actual prep is very quick. Try the Microwave Layered Chocolate P. Butter Fudge and the Quick and Easy Marshmallow Fudge Candy. They are so good you will want to make them both!

MICROWAVE LAYERED CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE
You can make this fudge in 10 minutes. However, it will need to chill for a couple of hours.

1 cup peanut butter bits
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk, divided
1/2 stick butter (4 tbsps)
1 cup semisweet chocolate bits
1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Lightly butter or spray an 8-inch square pan. In a small microwave-safe bowl, place the p. butter bits, half the sweetened condensed milk, and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Cover with plastic wrap. In another small micro-wave safe bowl, place chocolate bits, remaining sweetened condensed milk, and 2 tablespoons butter.

Microwave the p. b. bit mixture on high for 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir until creamy smooth. Pour into the prepared square pan and spread evenly. Microwave the chocolate mixture on high for 3 minutes. Remove from the microwave, stir until creamy and pour over the peanut butter mixture in the pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts over the top and press in lightly. Chill at least 2 hours to firm. Cut into 16 squares.

QUICK AND EASY MARSHMALLOW FUDGE CANDY

1 pkg (12-oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chunky peanut butter
4 cups miniature marshmallows

In a microwave safe 2-quart bowl, microwave chocolate chips and peanut butter together on medium setting for 2 to 3 minutes or until the chocolate is melted, stirring after each minute. Fold in the marshmallows and spread the mixture in a buttered 9-inch square pan. Chill until firm. Cut into approximately 24 pieces.

Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Homemade Candy Recipes