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Fete the Fall Season With These Sweet Apple Recipes

November 19, 2015 by

Give your tried-and-true apple pie recipe a rest and experiment with some new apple recipes this fall season. These three creative culinary ideas offer just as much sweet apple flavor as a traditional pie, but they come in a variety of different forms to last you all season long.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes [southernliving.com]
Caramel apples are delicious, but they’re not exactly practical to bring to social gatherings. This adorable cupcake recipe combines the classic combination of caramel and apples in a handheld form, and they’re topped with toasted pecans and miniature crab apples to give them an extra special appearance.

Mile-High Apple Pie [marthastewart.com]
Most baking enthusiasts are loyal to one apple pie recipe, but this one might just give your usual recipe a run for its money. The deep-dish crust makes the pie incredibly dense, and best of all, it tastes even better the next day.

Apple Squares [allrecipes.com]
All of the flavors of apple pie are packed into conveniently cake-like squares in this simple recipe. Apples and nuts make each bar taste hearty and rustic, while the vanilla and cinnamon will fill your home with a mouthwatering aroma while they’re baking. Slice them into oversized portions and pack them in the kids’ lunches, eat them for breakfast, or serve them as a dessert at your next holiday party.

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Are You a Saver or a Spender? Find Out With These Fun Quizzes!

October 22, 2015 by

If you’re having a hard time getting a handle on your finances, you might like to get a bit more insight into exactly what type of person you are when it comes to your money. Do you prefer saving your money for a rainy day, or are you the type of person to splurge on an investment item? These fun online quizzes will help you find out!

Spender or Saver?
This straightforward quiz from 7th Mind asks questions about your payday behavior, your credit cards, and your debt in order to determine your spending (and saving) habits. It’s a psychology-based quiz, so expect to gain some insight into how your habits reflect on your personality.

What Kind of Spender Are You?
The Mint’s spending and saving quiz is a bit more in-depth, asking more specific questions and offering a wider variety of answers to really gauge your spending behavior. Because this site is all about financial planning, it also offers some resources that you might find useful once you get your results.

Are You a Spender or a Saver?
Get your finances under control with a bit of help from Money Matters to Me’s spending and saving quiz. If you’re interested in how your own spending habits affect your household and how you might be able to save a bit more here and there, this is the quiz for you!

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Cooking Without Eggs? Bookmark These Two Websites

September 17, 2015 by

Food allergies sometimes make creativity a necessity when it comes to preparing meals on your own. Lucky for those afflicted with allergies, there are many great resources to help people cook delicious food without the ingredient that trigger reactions. If you need to prepare a dish without eggs, bookmark these two websites for help with substitutions.

  1. Cooking and Baking Without Egg Ingredients [Kids With Food Allergies]
    With this website, egg allergies won’t stop you from making your favorite foods like pizza, cake, and pie. Get those recipes, plus suggestions on how to substitute eggs when used in other baked goods.
  2. Egg Substitutions [Chef in You]
    Discover a list of foods that can be used as eggs substitutes in various recipes. They include unlikely items such as bananas, applesauce, and vegetable oil.

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Are You Brushing Your Teeth Correctly? Find Out Here!

August 20, 2015 by

You’ve brushed your teeth for as long as you can remember, but how can you be sure that you’re doing it correctly? Check out these simple steps for proper tooth brushing to find out.

  1. Twice a day is only the beginning. Although many people are taught to brush their teeth in the morning and the evening, that’s actually only the minimum amount. Brushing your teeth after a large meal or any time you drink a potentially staining beverage is always a good idea.
  2. Brush in a circular motion. Dentists recommend brushing in a circular motion up toward the gums rather than the usual back and forth motion across the teeth. This technique removes bacteria without causing gum pain.
  3. Stop the final rinse. While many people rinse their mouths out with a bit of water after brushing, this is harmful because it removes the beneficial film delivered from the toothpaste. If you feel the need to rinse, only put a small amount of water in your mouth and swish it across your tongue rather than around your teeth and gums.
  4. Don’t skimp on flossing. Flossing is just as important as brushing, and it should be done almost as often. Bonus points if you floss before brushing, as that enables the toothpaste to coat those hard-to-reach places between the teeth.

How to Brush [Colgate]
Proper Brushing [ADHA]
Am I Brushing My Teeth Correctly? [Lifehacker]
How to Brush Your Teeth [Crest]

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What You Don’t Know About Plastic

July 23, 2015 by

Plastic is an important part of your life whether you realize it or not. The world today consumes 600 billion pounds of plastic per year, and this number is anticipated to grow. Since we use plastic so much, we should at least know a little bit more about it! Here are some must-read facts about plastic.

1) The most common form of plastic is polyethylene. This plastic is typically found in grocery bags and water bottles. In fact, it's estimated that more than 100 billion plastic grocery bags are used annually. The average person uses 290 bags per year, and these plastic bags are typically put into use for only 15 minutes.

2) Plastic is forever. Plastic does not decompose naturally, which is why recycling plastic is so important. Recycled plastics are given new life as bottles, fleece jackets, and fiber fillings, among other uses.

3) Plastics represent 13 percent of total solid waste. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that in 2012, the U.S. produced 32 million tons of plastic waste. Of that 32 million tons, only nine percent was sent to be recycled.

20 Things You Didn't Know About… Plastic [Discover]
Plastics [EPA]
Plastic Facts [Kids Go Green]

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Explore American History at These National Parks Near New York City

July 9, 2015 by

Take a break from the fast pace of New York City by traveling to one of these national parks just outside city limits. Both have historic significance that helped to shape what the Big Apple is today.

Thomas Edison National Historical Park
Thomas Edison National Historical Park is one of the more unique national parks in the country. It consists of Edison's home and laboratory, where he resided and invented things like the motion picture camera, phonographs, sound recordings, and silent movies. Kick off your visit with Invention Factory, a 20-minute long orientation film that tells the story of Edison's famous lab. See where this master inventor created the inventions that would change the world, and make sure to pace through the courtyard as he did when pondering new ideas.

Morristown National Historical Park
Established in 1933, Morristown National Historical Park is home to the quarters of General Washington and the Continental Army's encampment during through the treacherous winter of 1779. Get a first hand feel for their challenging living conditions on an interactive tour through a replica of a soldier's hut, and then walk through the Ford Mansion, the home that George Washington occupied during this time period. Not only is Morristown a memorial of a pivotal moment in our nation's history, but it is also the country's first national park.

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Three Iron-Rich Foods You Might Not Know About

June 18, 2015 by

Consuming the right amount of iron each day prevents anemia, a condition that can lead to fatigue. This essential mineral also helps cells transport oxygen throughout the body. Adding more iron to your diet isn’t difficult when you know which foods to look for; here are three of them:

  1. Beef liver. Meat eaters have some delicious options when it comes to eating iron, with beef liver containing 5.8 milligrams per serving. Beef liver also boasts the lowest fat count in comparison to other beef products.
  2. Clams. Enjoy a tasty seafood meal while also getting your daily value of iron. Twenty small clams contain 53 milligrams.
  3. Pumpkin seeds. A great source for iron, pumpkin seeds contain 4.2 milligrams per serving. Eat them as a healthy snack in between meals.

Best Foods For Iron: 20 Foods Packed With Iron [Huffington Post]
Top 10 Iron Rich Foods [WedMD]
Top 10 Foods Highest in Iron [Healthaliciousness]
Iron Rich Foods [American Red Cross]

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History Meets Adventure at These National Parks Near New York City

June 4, 2015 by

Beyond the hustle and bustle of New York City lie two national parks that were built to commemorate unique moments in American history. One is the home of a beloved First Lady, and the other is a former haven for artists seeking refuge outside of the city.

Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
Amidst the 180-acre rural sprawl lies "Val-Kill," the only property that Eleanor Roosevelt ever owned. She purchased this modest cottage with encouragement from her husband, Franklin, to use the home and land as a means to develop her numerous endeavors. During the Great Depression, she used the cottage as a furniture factory to teach young men the trade. The house and its surrounding units are now open year-round to visitors for walk-through tours. There are also trails throughout the land nearby.

Weir Farm National Historic Site
Weir Farm National Historic Site is located in Ridgefield, Connecticut, 60 miles northeast of New York City. This structure was once home to a legendary artist community started by famous impressionist painter J. Alden Weir. Take a guided tour through the house where Weir and other painters, like Childe Hassam, Albert Pinkham Ryder, and John Twachtman, developed the skills that would later define the period. There are even art supplies provided free of charge for guests to make paintings of their own, if the house and its history should inspire you.

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Track the Journey of Your Dollar Bills on “Where’s George?”

May 21, 2015 by

Ever wonder where that rumpled, wrinkly dollar bill in your wallet has been? Chances are, the bill has done its fair share of traveling all across the U.S.

Curious about his bills' journeys, former tech consultant Hank Eskin launched a currency tracking project, Where's George?, in 1998, which quickly became a sensation among hobbyists. The premise behind the website is simple: Users input the serial number of a dollar bill into the website, which will email them if the same serial number is inputted again by another user. Then, the original user can log on to see how far their bill has traveled. (Typically, a user will mark the bill in some way to denote that the bill is part of the Where's George program.)

A visit to the Where's George summary page reveals the site's current statistics, from the number of bills entered to the number of bills that have made an appearance within the tracking program more than once.

If you'd like to follow the journey of your dollar bills, visit the website to start tracking. It's free and easy to use.

Where's George [Official Site]
Where's George?: The Trail Of $1 Bills Across The U.S. [NPR]

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Cool and Creative Uses for Chalkboard Paint

April 16, 2015 by

Instead of hanging a large chalkboard in a common area of your home, why not transform an existing item using chalkboard paint? Whether you want to display a grocery list or simply write a greeting for your guests, these tips will show you some unexpected — and useful — ways to use chalkboard paint around the home.

Chalkboard Wine Glasses [justshortofcrazy.com]
The next time you have your friends over for wine and cheese, customize their wine glasses with this creative tutorial. Simply paint the bases of an affordable set of wine glasses with basic craft store chalkboard paint, then allow each guest to write his or her name using a piece of chalk. That way, you can easily keep track of which glass belongs to each guest!

All Occasion Chalkboard Banner [deliacreates.com]
Decorate for any occasion without purchasing new decorations with this reusable chalkboard banner. Cut large triangular shapes out of chalk cloth vinyl, string it on a decorative ribbon, and then write a seasonal message or greeting to put on display.

Framed Magnetic Chalkboard Spice Rack [addicted2decorating.com]
If you love to cook, this chalkboard spice rack is a great kitchen project. By painting the inside of a frame with chalkboard paint and attaching small spice jars using magnets and sheet metal, you can label your spices, keep them organized, and switch them up whenever one runs out.

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