Pizza! Pizza!

Hurricane Sandy has brought a cold rainy day to northwestern PA.

The good news is, days like this are a good way for families to spend time together.

When I was younger, my mother used to make this pizza on days like this. It was always a big deal for me because I always got to put on the toppings. A few minutes in the oven and MMMMMMM...The house smelled like a pizzeria!

Mom would use 2 different doughs depending on what her mood was to make.

Sometimes she bought frozen bread dough and used it, but what I want to share today is her bisquick recipe.

Since I go through a lot of it at my house, I have found a recipe that makes your own bisquick mix and used that as my dough for this pizza.

Bisquick Mix

Ingredients:

4 cups of flour

3 Tablespoons of baking powder

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 cup of shortening ( you can also use 3/4 cup of oil)

Mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in shortening until mixture looks like fine crumbs

Now, you can store this in an airtight container or ziplock bag in a cool, dry place until you use it but we are making pizza 

so now we are going preheat our over to 450 degrees and grease a pizza pan. I used a 24 inch square one, but you can use 2- 12" pans.

 Add to the bowl of mix

3/4 cup of very hot water

and mix about 20 strokes to make a soft dough.

Then stretch it out on your pizza pan.

I made a small lip on the edge of mine because I like to load my pizzas up!

Cover dough with sauce and a light layer of shredded cheese. You can use any flavor you like, but I use a pizza mixture of mozzarella, provolone and parmesan.

Now comes the fun part!

Imagination is the limit here. You can add any toppings you want!

This is where the whole family can get involved.

 Let everyone pick a topping and let them load it up!

I had sauteed some fresh onions, peppers and mushrooms for mine.

Finally, I added some pepperoni and bacon I had fried and crumbled, then topped it all off with a final generous layer of cheese.

Pop it in the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is hot and bubbly. 

Let sit and cool for 5 minutes, cut, serve and enjoy!

On a final note, for all of my readers who will be impacted by Hurricane Sandy, my prayers and thoughts are with you! Please stay safe!

Trick or Treat!

Tonight is Trick or Treat night around here.

Every year for the past 20 years, I have taken them out to run house to house, sharing in their spoils and quite honestly, got so caught up myself in the "Spirit" of the holiday that I would even dress up with the most years and re-visit my inner child.

 These are the rewards of being a mom and I love it!

One of my favorite sites for costume and decoration ideas is 

http://www.instructables.com/halloween/ 

I have spent DAYS in this site just in awe of the stuff some people come up with.

However, this year is different for me.

This year, I was informed my chauffeur services are not required.

They are going with friends.

I will admit it.

 I felt a small twinge of "they don't need me anymore" for a minute.

But letting a child grow up to be their own person is something to celebrate, not mourn!

So what do you do when all of a sudden, a 20 years schedule changes?

You use it as an opportunity to allow yourself to do something you always wanted to do!

Plan a Halloween party at home with your friends. If you are like us, then most of your friends have kids the same age as yours and are looking for something to do as well!

Go all out decorating your house and stay home and give out candy for a change. You get to see all the kids and it's better than buying that bag of candy and sitting on the couch eating it all to yourself out of depression!

Try find a new tradition to make. 

Go out to eat with your spouse or friends then visit a haunted house with them.

 

Or stay home and make it scary movie night, complete with popcorn and lights out!

In my case, I am having some friends over and doing the latter. I'm popping in a good Halloween thriller and enjoying a beautiful fall evening with good company.

I encourage everyone who reads this to share how they spent their Trick or Treat night!

Did you dress the kids up? Did you have a nice evening alone?

I want to hear from you!

The Trouble with Tribbles.....Wait, I meant Zucchini!

Every year I plant a garden.

And every year I have more zucchini than I know what to do with.

Even when you bring it in the house, it still manages to multiply on your counter top!

Three years ago, I found something that would change things forever.

Suddenly, I was the crazy lady who begged everyone she knew with a garden for their excess of zucchini!

What made this drastic change?

One simple little recipe and 2 local fairs.

I was like everyone else, racking my brain for different ways to use up all the zucchini.

I scoured the internet for recipes.

I dug through cook books hundreds of years old.

I found all kinds of cakes, casseroles and other recipes using the zucchini as a substitution.

Finally, I found something that really intrigued me

Zucchini Jelly

Now here was something novel I had never seen.

It used zucchini and you could make it any flavor you could imagine.

So I gathered up all my zucchini, juggled them into the house and got to work!

I finished my first batch, fixed up a piece of home made bread and jelly for everyone, handed them out, and waiting for the reviews.

Everyone said the same thing. You couldn't tell there was any zucchini in it!

I was so pleased with it I entered it in both the local county fair and the local small town fair.

It ended up taking first in both fairs for both taste and appearance!

 

So here it is. My blue ribbon zucchini jelly recipe!

Zucchini Jelly

Ingredients:

6 cups of zucchini, peeled, seeded and shredded

6 cups of white sugar

1 can of crushed pineapple, drained ( 15 oz)

1/2 cup of lemon juice

1 package of strawberry jello ( 6 oz)

Combine the zucchini, sugar, pineapple, and lemon juice in a large pot over medium heat. Boil mixture until the zucchini is clear; remove from heat. Add jello and stir until completely dissolved.

You can use any flavor of jello you want, this is what gives the jelly it's flavor. I like strawberry the best because it tastes just like strawberry freezer jam!

 
Ladle into hot, sterilized pint jars to within about 1/4 inch of the top. Seal, and process in a boiling water canner for 5 minutes.

That's it!

It's an extremely simple recipe that tastes incredible!

It's also great for people who are a little nervous about learning to can and don't know where to start.

It's almost impossible to fail making this and it's guaranteed to be a huge hit!

Now go freak your neighbors out and ask them if they have any extra zucchini.

What flavor did you make?

Getting Ready for Halloween!

There is only a week left until Halloween.

 Hopefully, you're not running late like I am getting your  decorations up, but better late than never!

Yesterday was spent running errands, making sure the house was clean, and getting out the decorations.

First I worked on my table centerpiece.

The skull in the center is a bowling ball a good friend gave to me as a gift.

 How could I resist leaving it out of Halloween?

 I used it as a central piece and built around it.

What I ended up with was this candlelight dinner with Death.

My first  challenge was to figure out how to keep the ball from rolling around on the table. I ended up discovering the top part of a CD spool worked great as a base.

Then I tossed a black gauze cloth over it and arranged the skull candelabra and goblets around it.

All that is left is to spread some fake cobwebs across it.

Then I set up my candle holders. These pictures show just how dramatic a difference something simple as a few silk leaves can make any arrangement.

To help put a bit of smell of Fall in the air, I put coffee beans around the tea lights in the candle holders. As the burning candle warms the beans, it releases a nice warm scent into the room

 

The last thing I put up is something that means a lot to me.

A year ago, I helped take care of a terminally ill woman. She had a curtain decoration I just fell in love with. They were spider broaches. When she passed, the family passed them on to me. They have been on my living room curtain ever since, but for Halloween, they get something special.

 I bought the cobweb at the local Dollar General for a dollar.

I removed the plastic spider and used the broaches to pin it all back to the curtain.

So there are a few ideas for some cheap decorating on the fly with items you have on hand.

Now I want to know what you do for Halloween decor.

Do you use all store-bought decorations or do you step outside that comfort zone and embrace your own style to create your own?

   

Washing a Dog Is Like Washing Your Hair, Isn't it?

A friend asked me the other day how I do it. 

How do I manage to juggle 2 kids at home,

 a self employed husband who owns and operates two businesses of his own, 

a household,

have a fairly active social life,

 and STILL find time to do projects and write this blog?

While most times everything runs rather smooth,

All my scheduling was thrown completely out the window.

Kaput!

My mother, who runs her own dog grooming shop, was called to a last minute appointment.

Having helped her many times over the past few years, she asked if I could take over for a short bit.

What was I going to do? Help my mother of course!

Needless to say, I spent the better part of my day washing and drying a poodle and a chocolate lab. 

I did not get any decorating done today, so plan on that for Monday!

Fear not though, I do still have some hints and tricks for the dog-lovers out there!

The first time I helped her out in the shop washing a dog, I got a real eye-opener!

I, like most people do, thought that washing a dog consisted of getting them wet, washing with dog shampoo, then scrubbing them down with a towel.

NO, IT'S NOT!

To properly wash a dog, you start by getting them wet with warm water starting with right BEHIND their ears down the rest of the body. 

DO NOT GET WATER IN THEIR EARS! 

Getting water in a dog's ear can lead to a smelly fungus infection!

Lather the dog's body up with a shampoo made for dogs. Don't worry about washing the dog's face just yet. Rinse them off and use a conditioner on their coat and rinse a final time. 

This is especially important for long hair dogs. It helps take out any knots in the hair when you brush them. Also, do yourself a favor, don't buy a 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner. They just don't work as well. 

To wash a dog's face, the proper way is with a wet washcloth. This way water is not dripped into the ear canal and the dog does not feel like you are trying to drown it. A no-tear shampoo for dogs should be used if needed. Carefully wipe the ears and around the muzzle.

Now, using a towel,

RESIST THE URGE TO RUB THEM DRY!

The cuticle of a dog's hair is not like ours. Rubbing them with a towel like we do our own hair sets a dog's hair instantly into knots.

Instead, you want to carefully blot them dry. It will probably take more than one towel. Make sure the dog stays in a warm environment with no cool drafts until it is COMPLETELY dry! They can still catch cold if they are even slightly damp to the touch. Again, this is much more imperative for dogs with long hair. I have seen dogs come into the shop so matted up from simple home bathing that it was impossible to comb them out. It simply would have caused the dog too much pain.

If you have a long haired dog, please COMB it every day. Most brushes on the market only brush on the surface. This makes it appear smooth, but in actuality it is hiding the real matts that are forming underneath the coat. These are particularly painful for a dog because they restrict skin movement.

If you have a dog that requires a hair cut, most should be done about every 6-8 weeks.

 If at all possible, please stay with a cut that is breed appropriate. Trust me, shit-zu's are not as cute as you may think when cut like a poodle! The only exception I would suggest is this: If you have a long haired dog and you just can't keep up with combing but don't want to get rid of the dog, consider what a lot of people call a puppy cut. It's somewhat short all over, but easier upkeep for you and so much more comfortable for the dog.

Last but not least, 

give that best friend a treat

 just because they love you as completely as they do!

See you all Monday!

I hope every one of you have a wonderful weekend!

Batten Down the Hatches Then Treat Yourself!

I'm a little late getting my holiday on this year. It happens, I'm not beating myself up over it.

There just isn't any sense and you shouldn't worry either if you're running late as well.

But after doing the Fall Chandelier project, I realized that time was running out fast to decorate for one of my favorite  holidays,

HALLOWEEN!

Unfortunately, the holidays come fast and furious after that leaving no time for deep cleaning until Spring!

So, I busted out my cleaning supplies and made a plan.

I made my bed, quick cleaned the bathroom and put another load in the laundry.

Then I took my broom and ran it along every crevice along my ceiling and in the corners of my rooms.

Next I like to hit my windows and mirrors.

Since I needed to make a fresh batch of glass cleaner, I thought it was a prefect time to share it with you all.

Materials:

1/2 ammonia

16 oz. bottle of rubbing alchohol

1 tsp dawn dish soap

empty gallon jug ( I repurposed an empty milk jug)

clean spray bottle

Fill the milk jug half way with water. Add the rest of the ingredients, then fill the gallon jug the rest of the way with water. Shake lightly to mix, then fill the spray bottle. That's it!

To show just how well it works, I wrote on my mirror with glass chalk and let it dry.

Let's see how well it works.

Beautiful! Sparkling clean and NO STREAKS!

Tomorrow I will finish my dusting and I can start my decorating, but now, I want to share my one serving snack that is just so easy it is dangerous!

Materials:

1 Angel food cake

1 cake mix, whatever flavor you want

NOTE: One mix MUST be Angel Food cake

I used strawberry flavor this time, though the yellow and chocolate are VERY yummy as well!

Mix both mixes into a gallon bag.

Some boxes of angel food cake have 2 packets inside, empty BOTH in the bag. If it only has one package inside, it works just the same.

Seal the bag and mix thoroughly.

The mix will look like a light color of whatever flavor you chose.

Now for the 3-2-1. This is so simple, it's unreal!

Ready?

Put in a coffee cup:

3 Tablespoons of cake mix

2 Tablespoons of water

1 minute in the microwave

Yep! you read right. 3-2-1

3 Tablespoons of mix

2 Tablespoons of water

Mix with a fork until smooth.

Put in the microwave for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes depending on your microwave power.

 Hubby was the taste tester on this one since he is the one in the house with a wicked sweet tooth.

He mumbled something around the fork-full of cake and gave it a thumbs up.

It's a great snack to have on hand for that company that shows up with no notice or just to have a snack without making a whole cake!

So that's it for today. Tomorrow I will be sharing some of my decorating ideas for Halloween.

Everyone have a Blessed Day and I look forward to more fun tomorrow!

Crazy in the Kitchen!

Today, I decided to get into the kitchen a little and try some quick treats for the family.

The first I made was a super simple cake...And when I say super simple, 

I do mean SUPER SIMPLE!

Yep, you see right. Only 2 ingredients!

Ingredients:

One box of classic yellow cake mix, any brand

One 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the pumpkin and the cake mix with a mixer until smooth.

NOTE: This mix is much thicker than standard cake batter. It does not effect the quality of the cake at all.

Put in a 7" X 11" greased pan and spread it out.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

I let mine cool and topped with Cool Whip whipped topping.

Everyone in the family LOVED it!

After that, I decided to experiment a bit.

A friend of mine seen a tip and wondered if it worked or if she was going to end up with a heck of a mess to clean up. Well, this IS what I do right?

 

So this is the premise, you bake eggs in the oven rather than boil them.

Here are my 6 little guinea pigs sitting in their muffin tin in a 325 degree oven.

I baked them for 30 minutes.

After letting them cool, I cracked one open.

 

It cooked perfectly!

The taste, texture, everything was the same and best of all,

NOTHING EXPLODED!

I'll be honest, I fully expected to be blogging tomorrow about the major mess I was going to have to be cleaning up from them tonight.

Sometimes you just have to step out on a limb to find a neat new trick!

I know I promised a super simple one serving cake, but I discovered at the last minute I was missing a key ingredient!

I will be adding it in tomorrow's post when I talk about Fall Cleaning and sharing some of my favorite cleaning tips. 

I will also be sharing a recipe for the ONLY glass cleaner I will EVER use.

I can't wait for the fun tomorrow!

Be Kind To Your Skin....The Natural Way!

It's cooling down in Northwestern Pennsylvania, which means winter and dry skin isn't far behind.

 I, myself,  have a problem with what I call dry "lizard skin" on my legs all year long. 

Lotions, scrubs, special moisturizing soaps, these all have harsh ingredients that can actually aggravate the condition you bought them for! Not to mention buying all this stuff can cost you a small fortune!

Today, I am going to share with you a recipe I created for an awesome multipurpose sugar scrub. I have been using this stuff for a month now and I wouldn't part with it for anything!

My skin is silky smooth and when I step out of the shower, I smell like fresh sugar cookies and a cup of coffee!

Materials

3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbs Honey

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

5 Tbs coffee

1 cup sugar ( I used white but you can use brown as well)

 

 

First mix the olive oil, honey, vanilla and almond extracts.

I re-purposed a pickle jar so I can seal it up between uses.

Then add the coffee grounds and sugar. Mix with a knife

It should be the consistency of loose, damp sand.

To store, just put a lid on the jar and store in the bathroom.

 

Using it is very simple. Wash with soap. Then you simply put some on your fingertips and rub all over your body. Rinse. Then simply dry yourself with a towel and you're done! I do recommend using a spoon, butter knife or spatula to get the scrub out of the jar. It tends to get VERY runny when water is accidentally added from the shower.

I have also used this on my face. It did feel a bit oily for the first few minutes, but my skin quickly absorbed it, leaving it silky smooth like the rest of me.

Now why did I use the ingredients I did?

First, olive oil has long been known for it's moisturizing properties.

The sugar is used as an abrasive to exfoliate dead skin.

Coffee works on several levels. It has a tightening and antioxident effect on the skin. It helps to redistribute fat cells and decreases cellulite. Is also acts as a vasorestrictor, meaning it tightens and shrinks blood vessels, which can reduce varicose veins.

Honey is a mild anitseptic and when added to water produces natural hydrogen peroxide.

The vanilla and almond extracts are simply for aroma.

So not only have you just made a great product for pennies on the dollar, but it's incredibly great for your skin and ALL NATURAL!

 

Fall Chandelier Project

I posted on Facebook yesterday I was going to take these items

and turn them into a fall themed chandelier.

Materials:

One hanging wire basket

2 bags of silk fall leaves (I bought mine at Dollar General for $1 each)

1/8" wide cream color ribbon

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

 I cut the ribbon into 8 1/2" long pieces and sorted the leaves into sizes.
Then I counted the spaces on the basket and determined how many strands I would need. My basket took 21 strands total.

I shuffled them around until I decided I liked the arrangement. This is what I ended up with.

I flipped them over and started gluing the ribbon to the back sides of the leaves.

For the center strand, I glued leaves to both sides of the ribbon so it would look the same from either side.

Once I made all my strands, I started attaching them to the basket. I placed a small amount of hot glue at the very end of the ribbon, then folded it over the wire of the basket. I placed the double sided strand at the very center of the bottom of the basket.

Then I worked my way around the basket. I did a second row of 4 strands halfway up the side of the basket. The last 16 strands I put around the top.

This is what it looked like when I was finished.

I put purple Halloween lights inside the basket for lighting, and hung in my front window. The darker it gets the more dramatic the look!

I had a blast sharing this with you and I hope you give it a try and make one of your own. The hardest part of any craft is just starting it! Once that is overcome, the rest is nothing but fun. 

Don't get caught up in thinking it has to look perfect! No one is coming to judge you for a prize, and the only one who has a house that looks like Martha Stewart lives there is Martha Stewart!

So have fun and I'll be back tomorrow with another fun idea!

~Missi <3