25 CLEVER IDEAS TO MAKE LIFE EASIER

I got this from my cuz in Utah-of course this comes out of UT! But this is some ingenious ideas - why didn't I think of this????? Enjoy!





Pump up the volume by placing your iPhone / iPod in a bowl – the concave shape
Amplifies the music.




Overhaul your linen cupboard – store bed linen sets inside one of their own
Pillowcases and there will be no more hunting through piles for a match.




Stop cut apples browning in your child’s lunch box by securing with a rubber band.



Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV or computer screen with WD40
(also works on walls).



Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes.



Hull strawberries easily using a straw.


Use egg cartons to separate and store your Christmas decorations.





Gutter garden: Create a window-box veggie patch using guttering.





Freeze Aloe Vera in ice-cube trays for soothing sunburn relief.




Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough over the top and voila –
You have cookie bowls for fruit or ice-cream.

Sugar Cookie Bowls Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon No Color Almond Extract

Makes:

12 bowls.


Instructions:

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the outside of each bowl cavity of Ice Cream Cookie Bowl Pan with vegetable pan spray.


Step 2

In medium bowl, combine flour and salt. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition.


Step 3

Roll out dough on generously-floured surface to 1/8 in. thickness. Cut 4-1/2 in. circles from dough.. Drape one circle over each bowl cavity of pan, pressing to form smooth surface.


Step 4

Bake 11-13 minutes or until cookie cups are firm and golden brown. Cool on pan on cooling rack 10 minutes. Loosen bottom edges of cookies from pan using small spatula. Carefully remove cups from pan and cool completely. Wash, dry and spray pan; repeat with remaining dough.






Win friends at breakfast with this heart-shaped egg tutorial. Aww shucks!




Brilliant space-saver: install a tension rod
to hang your spray bottles. Genius!





Microwave your own popcorn in a plain brown paper bag. Much healthier and
Cheaper than the packet stuff.



Bake cupcakes directly in ice-cream cones – so much more fun and easier for kids
To eat. Definitely doing this!



Bread tags make the perfect-sized cord labels.




A muffin pan becomes a craft caddy. Magnets hold the plastic cups down to
Make them tip-resistant.







Attach a Velcro strip to the wall to store soft toys.




Add this item to your beach bag. Baby powder gets sand off your skin easily –
Who knew?.




A tip for holiday packing. Store shoes inside shower caps to stop dirty soles
Rubbing on your clothes. And you can find them in just about every hotel!






Forever losing your bathroom essentials? Use magnetic strips to store bobby
Pins (and tweezers and clippers) behind a vanity door.




For those who can't stand the scrunching and bunching: how to perfectly
Fold a fitted sheet.






Make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting crosses into a box lid.





Gotcha! Find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a stocking over the vacuum
Hose.





Look up! Use wire to make a space to store gift wrap rolls against the ceiling,
Rather than cluttering up the floor.





Re-use a wet-wipes container to store plastic bags.

Ideas for all the preg-os out there

I found this article and thought these sounded good. I haven't tried any yet, but want to!

3 perfect pregnancy breakfasts


Breakfast is more important than ever when you're pregnant. Your body and baby need energy after hours of not eating. These quick and easy breakfast ideas from Nicole Britvan, a dietitian at Kaiser Permanente Outpatient Nutrition Clinic in San Francisco, have a healthy mix of protein and other nutrients.

• Fruity Protein Smoothie Mix 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder with 1 cup nonfat milk, 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit, half a banana, and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Add ice for desired consistency. Serve with 1 or 2 slices of whole-wheat toast spread with low-sugar jam.

• Yogurt and Fruit Mix 1 cup low-fat yogurt with 1/2 cup of berries, 1/4 cup of low-fat granola, and 1/4 cup almonds or walnuts.

• Breakfast Burrito Scramble together 1 egg and 2 egg whites. Place inside 1 heated whole-wheat flour tortilla and top with salsa or tomatoes, 1 slice low-fat cheese or low-fat veggie sausage or turkey bacon. Serve with 1 cup strawberries.

Late Thanksgiving post

I made this for Thanksgiving, well one of our desserts for Thanksgiving. We had 5 pies and this (we had 22 people). And this won hands down. Everyone loved it and enjoyed every bite. The crazy thing is, it looks like a hard recipe, but it was pretty easy. Try it, it will become one of your favorites! I know I need to make it again, I only had one slice of it!

*Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used half bittersweet, half semisweet)
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup all purpose flour

Mousse:
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
4 large eggs, separated at room temperature
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped finely (it is important the chocolate for this mousse layer is chopped finely or it won’t melt completely when added to the warm egg yolks)
1/2 cup sugar

Topping:
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 cups fresh raspberries

DIRECTIONS:

For cake:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan; dust with sugar. Melt chocolate and butter in heavy large saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool to lukewarm. Whisk in sugar. Whisk in eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and salt, then flour. Pour batter into the springform pan. Bake until cake just rises in center (tester inserted into center will not come out clean), 30-35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack (the center of the cake may fall slightly). Cover and chill while making mousse.

For mousse:
Melt butter in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk yolks, 1/4 cup cream and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk yolk mixture into bowl with melted butter. Whisk constantly over simmering water until thermometer registers 150°F, about 6 minutes (mixture may appear broken – mine did not but it was very thick like custard or pudding). Remove from over water; add chocolate and stir to melt. Set aside. Beat egg whites and 1/2 cup sugar and a pinch of cornstarch in large bowl to medium-stiff peaks. Whisk 1/4 of beaten egg white mixture into warm chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining egg white mixture. Pour mousse over the cooled cake in pan; smooth top. Chill torte until mousse is set, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.
Run sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen torte. Release pan sides. Transfer torte to platter. Using electric mixer, beat 3/4 cup cream and powdered sugar in medium bowl until peaks form. Spread whipped cream over torte. Top whipped cream with raspberries.