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How to Get the Most Storage Space Out of Your Freezer

December 17, 2015 by

If you’re looking for a way to add extra storage space to your current freezer, these smart tips may be of service.

  1. Know what to freeze. Start streamlining what you freeze in the first place by knowing what will last and what won’t. In general, leafy vegetables, dairy products, and fried foods are not meant to freeze.
  2. Separate items into portions. If you’re freezing something that would otherwise stick together after freezing, such as chicken breasts or soup, separate it into serving-sized portions so that you can easily thaw only the part that you need.
  3. Use containers. Instead of piling all of your food into one large pile in the freezer, invest in freezer-safe storage containers from the local home goods store.
  4. Use labels. Label everything in the freezer, from individual food items (unless they’re still in the original packaging) to your storage containers.
  5. Mind the door. The door of the freezer is the warmest part, so don’t store things that can easily melt on its shelves. Save this space for less delicate foods, such as nuts, alcohol, or frozen fruits.

Fridge and Freezer Organization [The Container Store]
The Best Way to Organize Your Freezer [The Kitchn]
8 Better Ways to Keep Your Freezer Super-Organized [Good Housekeeping]

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Check Out These Surprising Health Benefits of Autumn’s Favorite Crop, Apples!

November 19, 2015 by

Apples are some of the most delicious types of fall produce, but they’re also packed with vitamins and nutrients that do your body some good. If you needed another reason to justify that second (or third) piece of apple pie, you’ll love this list of the many health benefits of apples.

  1. Cardiovascular health. The beneficial phytonutrients found in apples function as antioxidants and decrease the oxidation of cell membranes in the cardiovascular system. Quercetin, which is found mainly in the apple’s skin, is its main phytonutrient, but apples also contain chlorogenic acid, kaempferol and myricetin.
  2. Blood sugar regulation. The polyphenols in apples are also thought to help regulate blood sugar because they influence digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, reduce glucose absorption and stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin.
  3. Cancer prevention. Amazingly, apples have also been shown to prevent several types of cancers. They are even the only fruit or vegetable that’s been shown to prevent lung cancer.
  4. Asthma treatment. If you suffer from asthma, you may want to reach for an apple before your inhaler from now on. Apples contain a number of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients that work wonders on human lungs and have even been shown to decrease asthma symptoms.

What's New and Beneficial About Apples [The World’s Healthiest Foods]
5 Health Benefits of an Apple [Eating Well]
10 Reasons to Eat an Apple a Day [Care2]

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Check Out These Quirky (and Useful) DIY Projects Using Mason Jars

October 22, 2015 by

You’ve seen mason jars used in hip cocktail bars, at rustic weddings, and even in friends’ homes, but did you know that these cheap containers can also be used as the foundation of DIY projects? If you want to make new use of all of those old mason jars, these simple (and useful) projects can help.

Mason Jar Wall Planter [notjustahousewife.net/]
By attaching a few glass mason jars to a piece of reclaimed wood, you can create a whole new type of hanging planters. Use common pipe clamps from the hardware store to attach the jars to the wood, and then fill them with soil and plant whatever types of herbs or houseplants that you like best.

Baby Food Jar Snow Globes [craftaholicsanonymous.net]
If you just had a new baby and have lots of used baby food jars lying around, repurpose them into quirky snow globes that make wonderful gifts this holiday season. Simply place some miniature trees or other figurines in the bottoms, fill the jar with water and glitter, and seal it all off with waterproof adhesive.

DIY Mason Jar Sewing Kit [juliettelaura.blogspot.ru]
While it is inspired by pricey versions sold in trendy stores, this DIY project will show you how to make your own adorable mason jar sewing kit right at home.

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Ice Cream Cones Have a New Purpose in These Fun Recipes

September 17, 2015 by

Although you’ve probably only used ice cream cones for, well, ice cream, the recipe possibilities are truly endless for this sweet, crunchy treat—if you think creatively. Here are three completely unique spins on the classic ice cream cone.

Apple Snack Mix [tasteofhome.com]
This fun snack mix makes a wonderful kids’ party favor at birthday parties or bonfires. Cinnamon flavored cereal, roasted peanuts, sunflower kernels, apple chips, and a number of other hearty ingredients mix together to create a crunchy snack mix that looks adorable served in a sweet waffle cone.

Mini Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes [kraftrecipes.com]
Even if you aren’t serving ice cream in your ice cream cone, you can still emulate the cute look of the beloved summertime sweet. These creative cupcakes are baked into mini ice cream cones and then topped with a swirl of icing that looks just like soft serve.

Popcorn Ball Ice Cream Cones [cookiesandcups.com]
If you prefer the crunch of popcorn to the icy chill of ice cream, you’ll love this fun snack. By mixing the popcorn with marshmallows and chocolate candies, you can create a uniquely sweet treat that looks just like vanilla ice cream. Serve it on top of a classic sugar cone to make it even more authentic!

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Don Your Thinking Caps to Learn About Tour Puzzles Online

August 20, 2015 by

If you’re addicted to puzzles, you’ve probably already tried all of the jigsaw puzzles, Rubik’s cubes, word games, and logic problems that you can get your hands on. If you’re tired of your usual puzzles and want something new, tour puzzles are a fun and exciting alterative.

Tour puzzles use one token that represents a traveler.
The token is you, the person attempting to solve the puzzle, or you may have numerous different tokens that you must control. These are the objects that move around the board.

There is usually a designated beginning and end to a tour puzzle.
The player starts at the starting line and attempts to make it to the finish, and there are sometimes certain items to retrieve along the way. Some tour puzzles have special rules at different points in the puzzle.

Tour puzzles come in a variety of forms.
Mazes and labyrinths require the player to navigate through a series of confusing twists and turns without crossing the walls or borders. A knight’s tour uses a chessboard and attempts to visit every square at least once, and logic mazes are mazes with special rules and requirements for completing them.

To learn more about tour puzzles and to find out where to play them, visit here.

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Cool Ways to Organize Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers

July 23, 2015 by

Kitchen cabinets and drawers can be difficult to keep neat and organized. If you’re tired of your messy cabinets and drawers, use these simple tips for keeping them more organized.

  • Clean out your cabinets. Empty your kitchen cabinets and drawers completely, tossing out outdated or unused foods and consolidating anything that you have multiples of. You might also want to give the bottoms a good wipe-down.
  • Put spices in jars. Instead of having dozens of spices in various sized jars, take the time to put all spices in matching glass jars that you can easily organize.
  • Add a Lazy Susan. Add a rotating Lazy Susan to your kitchen cabinet to corral small food items and keep them easily within reach.
  • Group similar items together. Store all of your baking supplies on one shelf, all of your dried foods on another, all of your plastic containers on another, and so on. This makes it much easier to locate items later on.
  • Add drawer dividers. Your silverware drawer isn’t the only one that could use dividers. Invest in cheap plastic dividers to keep all of your drawers neatly separated.

24 Smart Organizing Ideas for Your Kitchen [Real Simple]
10 Steps to an Orderly Kitchen [HGTV]
6 Clever Kitchen Storage Ideas Anyone Can Use [Houzz]
10 Clever Ways to Keep Your Kitchen Organized [DIY Network]

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Love to Cook? Master These Must-Know Knife Techniques

May 21, 2015 by

If you love to cook, you know how important it is to use the proper cutting techniques in every recipe. Many people don't know the proper names of these techniques, however, which often leads to using the wrong one. Here are three important types of cutting that are essential for everything from entrees to desserts.

  1. Julienne. To julienne, you want to cut vegetables or other food items into stick-shaped pieces that are long and thin. Start by cutting the item into a square, then slice it into rectangular-shaped pieces lengthwise. Repeat the same step on each of the rectangles until you're left with pieces that resemble matchsticks.
  2. Chiffonade. This type of cut sounds fancy, but it actually just refers to cutting herbs or thin leaf vegetables. Roll the herbs up into a tight tube, then roughly chop across with a sharp knife. It doesn't matter how the cuts look, just that the pieces are small enough to sprinkle throughout a dish.
  3. Dice. Dicing is similar to chopping, but it creates entirely uniform pieces for dishes like stews or fruit salads. Begin with a rectangular shape and continue to cut it both directions until you're left with uniform pieces in the size that you desire.

Knife Skills: Different Types of Cuts [The Culinary Cook]
Top 10 Knife Skills [How Stuff Works]
Perfect Your Knife Skills With This Chef's Guide to Knives [Lifehacker]

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Deliciously Simple Ice Cream Cake Recipes

May 7, 2015 by

Those with a sweet spot for cake know that there's only one possible way to make the dessert even better: Combine it with ice cream! You might think ice cream cake is difficult to make at home, but these three tried-and-true recipes prove otherwise.

Frozen Chocolate Cookie Cake [Food Network]
Taste buds of all ages with do back flips for this recipe from Food Network star Sandra Lee. Requiring only 20 minutes of prep time, the recipe entails baking two chocolate layer cakes, then sandwiching the cakes around a molded slab of ice cream. To make the whole thing even more decadent, a rich chocolate ganache is poured over top. The best part of this recipe is its versatility; you can use whatever ice cream and cake flavors you desire!

Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake [Martha Stewart]
You'd expect a recipe from Martha Stewart to be time consuming and complicated, but this ice cream cake recipe is, well, a piece of cake! To create this neapolitan-style dessert, three different flavors of ice cream are layered within a loaf pan. For that signature cookie crunch that everyone loves and expects from an ice cream cake, chocolate cookie crumbs separate each ice cream layer. The most difficult part of Martha's recipe is just waiting for the cake to set up in the freezer.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Cake [AllRecipes]
To make this cake truly decadent, its crust is crafted from crushed chocolate chip cookies. Then, a layer of hot fudge is poured over top of the crust. After the fudge crust cools, the recipe entails spreading a layer of softened ice cream over the crust, then freezing overnight. A healthy dose of whipped cream on top takes the cake to a whole 'nother level!

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Calling All Bibliophiles: These Pinterest Boards Are for You!

April 16, 2015 by

Pinterest is a great way to organize your favorite recipes or browse for home decor ideas, so why not use it to pay homage to your favorite books as well? If you’re an avid bibliophile who hates wandering aimlessly around the bookstore feeling overwhelmed by the endless selection of books, these boards will help you to bookmark ideas for new reading material and connect with other readers.

Book Lovers
Whether you’re looking for the best new releases or you simply want to share your love of reading with other pinners, this board is packed full of literary quotes, book recommendations, and peeks inside of some of the most impressive books stores in the world.

Reading Quotes
If all you’re searching for is a bit of inspiration on a tough day, this board pulls quotes directly from your favorite books to offer some words of wisdom straight from the authors’ mouths. From Annie Dillard and Theodore Roosevelt to C.S. Lewis, the Reading Quotes board has quotes for everyone.

Libraries
There are few places more relaxing for an avid reader than a beautiful library, and this board offers a virtual tour of some of the most impressive libraries in the world.

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Test Your Smarts by Solving the Missing Dollar Riddle

March 19, 2015 by

If you like challenging, mathematical puzzles, the Missing Dollar Riddle is for you. Using real life scenarios to test your reasoning skills, this fun puzzle may take you a while to work out. Grab a pen and paper and try to solve this tricky riddle!

The Missing Dollar Riddle begins when three guests check into a hotel room. The bill is $30, so each person pays $10. Later, the hotel clerk realizes that the bill should have only been $25, so he instructs the bellhop to return $5 to the guests. The bellhop realizes that he can’t split $5 between three people, so he sneakily decides to give each guest $1 and to keep the extra $2 for himself. Now the guests each paid $9, totaling $27. The bellhop has $2, which equals only $29, not the $30 they originally paid.

What happened to the extra $1? To see how your answer stacks up (or to check the solution if you’ve given up!), check out the correct answer here.

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