How to make cake flour

Recipe calls for cake flour? don't have it? you can make it with these 3 things. :)

-flour
-cornstarch
-sifter/strainer

"Get out the flour that you have. Most likely it is the regular enriched kind, but whatever you have on hand will work

Sift flour

 Measure how much flour you'll need. For every 1 cup of flour you use, take out 2 tablespoons of the flour. Set the 2 tablespoons aside or put them back in the flour bin

Replace the two tablespoons of flour that you took out with two tablespoons of cornstarch

Sift the cornstarch and flour at least five times."

And its ready to use!

 taken from: http://www.ehow.com/how_2107935_make-cake-flour.html

Stitches

*to make a knot
*to hide a stitch

Go here : http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2009/04/hand-stitching.html

It seems like these days I am hand stitching stuff due to lack of know-how with my sewing machine.  Needed somewhere to put this helpful tip!

a marriage

Meet the orange (or mandarin, tangerine, tangelo, etc.)

Meet Iron

 

If there is something you learn today...let it be this....

  Vitamin C and Iron should always be paired together.  

If your anemic, like me, your taking iron pills.  But you might as well sew a dress without any string if your not adding vitamin C to your diet.  Iron needs Vitamin C.  The body loves and needs iron naturally...some more than others...and it order for your iron to be absorbed into your body you need the vitamin C to make it happen.

You see, Iron needs to hold hands with Vitamin C because if it doesn't its just gonna go in one way and out the other.

So next time you need some more iron in your diet, or just in general b/c Iron is what are bodies need, eat that spinach with a few slices of orange or carrots. 

See my other post about "power couples" here.

And for some pairing ideas next time you eat:

high in iron:

nuts

spinach 

 roast beef 

 oysters 

 liver 

 raisons 

high in Vit C:

 oranges 

 papaya 

 grapefruit 

 brocolli 

 carrots

"I wish someone would have told me..."

Do you ever feel shafted?
Left out of the Loop?
Ever think "common sense" would be more common if ppl shared?

You're not alone.  Well at least Im right there with ya.  It seems a common occurrence where in a situation I will be the odd one out, the one who didn't "know".  And perhaps its because, granted, I am young.  But Nevermind that!  Today I start a filtered collection, if you will, of things where I find myself saying, "I wish someone would have told me before.!" 

So, whats the first order of business?  Hair.

"i Wish someone would have told me...
In order to obtain better hair volume, all you have to do is push the 'cool' button on my dryer.

image here

I wouldn't naturally think that the cool button on my blow dryer would create better volume.  But it Does!  It works like a charm!

While drying your hair with a round brush and blow dryer in hand(s), first apply heat to DRY then (immediately) cool air to SET.  Meaning set the hair...keep the shape...that volume we talked about.

image here

Why is this?!?!

Well, we'd like the heat to dry our hair but we also would like to keep moisture in our hair.  Nobody enjoys those darn flyaways or frizz.  Upon drying your hair, the heat is opening the hair cuticles therefore subjecting them to dry the hair faster.But once the hair is dry those same cuticles should be closed therefore locking in the moisture our hair so desperately needs.  So thats where the cool button comes into play. You then close the cuticles by cooling them therefore locking in the moisture and importantly the volume we crave.

image here

Light. Airy. Manageable

love the hair! ain't Ivanka gorgeous. image

Oommf! image here

How do I remove those darn Lipstick Stains?

What you need:

• liquid dish detergent


• Ear swabs(q-tips)


• warm water

Apply:

"Dilute a capful of dish detergent w/an equal amount of warm water. Pull the lining as far out of the bag as you can. Then, using a cotton swab, apply the mixture to the stain in a circular motion.-Switch swabs often so you don't rub the pigment back into the fabric. Allow the bag to air dry. Repeat until the stain is removed."

best on: polyester or cotton linings. All others take to dry cleaners.

Article and pic from:

www.realsimple.com

How in the heck can I open a clamshell package?

Two Words:

Can Opener.

Remember that next time you try to pry with your fingers or scissors....grab the can opener.

"..an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!"

A fun little reality...

Halloween(for general pop) means = Candy and treats
Higher amounts of Candy and treats quickly weakness your immune system
A weakened Immune system becomes more susceptible to viruses, colds, flu, swine flu, etc.
Having Viruses, colds, flu means = NOT FUN FOR ANYONE(yourself or one you care for or work place, etc)

Halloween sparks the beginning of the SICK season because most eat more sugar amounts in shorter periods of time while not eating right nor taking the vitamins needed to even the scales.

My equation for SICK season is this (Cold weather + Halloween/Holidays= Sick)



In Truth, the more you've been sick the easier it is for Immune system to recognize the illness. So being sick alot(ex. children) is a good thing in a way because the body now knows how to fight it, but CAN it??? Even if you're not sick alot there are constant wars and battles being fought in our bodies daily and what better way to strengthen our forts walls than to have wellness shots. To everyone there own, when regarding Flu shot VS no Flu shot. But just as you should be taking your vitamins to boost your immune system why not include "wellness shots".

What is a Wellness shot and how would it benefit me?

" Wellness Shots- This is our alternative to the conventional flu shot and has become very popular at NNWC! This combination of anti-viral and immune boosting homeopathic remedies can be taken acutely to speed up the recovery time of any of the nasty viruses out there...or better yet for prevention, on a monthly basis during the cold & flu season! There are two versions available- in oral dosage form for kids or in shot form for adults (we add B12 for even more benefits in the shot form)."


When I heard this It sounded good to me and so I think I will partake and thought I'd pass along to anybody else interested. Thanks Sis for the info. And for you readers:


Naturally Nurturing Wellness Center
2730 S. Val Vista Dr. #128
Gilbert, AZ 85295
(480)981-1960



For carriers of wellness shots just Google it for your area/locale OR call your physician.

Lipsticks and you, yes You.

I've read the color me Beautiful book and figured out what colors were best for me..but i still need help sometimes as to what color for my lips is a good one to buy. So heres what i've found:

Four Shades, One women

NUDE


Fair skin try: Avon Naturale in sheer


medium skin try: Becca sheer tint lip colour in Gisella


Benefit Thrillin' Brazilian


For Dark skin: Clinique Nude-tritious





BERRIES


For Everyone: Dior addict ultra=gloss Reflect in Draped Burgundy


For Fair skin: Dolce & Gabbana Dahlia Classic cream


For Medium skin: Bobbi brown lip color in Rum Raisin





PINKS


For everyone: Aubrey organics lips sheer tint in pink pearl


Fair skin: Lancome color fever lip shine Tempt me


For medium: Maybeline new york color sensational lipcolor in makeMe pink @drugstores








REDS


Fair: Lipstick queen medieval tinted treatment


For everyone: Estee lauder signature kydra lustre lipstick Simply Red


Medium: Chanel Rouge allure laue lip lacquer Dragon


Dark: Revlon In the RED @ drugstores











Seriously Ladies...its all about lip color...especially with the holidays approaching the darks are IN! So do what you can to save and go get one. In fact, im asking my husband right now...cross your fingers he says "yes". :)

Ew, greasy!

Use Corn Starch to clean up grease spills. Also, on carpet just sprinkle some on the area, let stand no more than 30 minutes. vacuum it up!

Hard to clean those bottles?

Great Tip!

Just use rice & some water, plug, and shake.

Okay wanna-be-greenie over here...yeah I sometimes try to be good at recycling my glass food jars(ex. spaghetti sauce jar) and so I'll try to scrub and wash it so I can put it in the bin. So I figure this would help it go faster and hopefully less contact within the ucky jar!

:0) Happy Me!

Don't drink tea? thats okay

...use it to clean tottered rusty tools/garden tools.
Make Black tea like normal(as much as needed), cool, then place the necessaries into bucket/etc with tea and soak.
Let soak about 2-3 hours then(wearing gloves) scrub/wipe with cloth.

Don't bite the hand that cleans you

"
Use club soda to: Shine up a scuffed stainless-steel sink. Buff with a cloth dampened with club soda, then wipe dry with another clean cloth."

"Use hydrogen peroxide to: Disinfect:(ex. a keyboard.) Dip a cotton swab in hydrogen peroxide to get into those nooks and crannies."

Taken from: Real Simple Mag

Pass me the Ketchup

From: Real Simple
Great ways to clean "green"

" White Bread and Ketchup

Use white bread to: Dust an oil painting. Gently dab a slice of white bread over the surface to pick up dirt and grime.

Use ketchup to: Remove tarnish from copper and brass cookware. Squeeze ketchup onto a cloth and rub it on pots and pans. They should go back to their coppery color in minutes. Rinse with warm water and dry with a towel. "

Sleek and Shiney

(i think im seeing double)

Okay maybe this will be a "Duh!" factor but it occurred to me whilst cleaning this morning that Mr Clean is a great shiner. No, no, not giving you a shiner, a great surface shiner beside your floors.
I use Mr. Clean for mopping my floors, the usual solution diluted in water. The counter tops I clean happen to be granite and guess what???Instead of just cleaning with soup and water...i figured out today that cleaning Mr. Clean on granite gives it a shine of a DIAMOND! and of course its a great germ cleaner and safe at that ,so ...Bonus!


Just a helpful tip for my team.
Have a great Monday!

"Yes, we have no bananas"

Today i picked up a lovely pack of bananas, 2 lbs to be exact. Comes from the Dole plantation and they are ripe and ready. Any guess how much i paid for it...

$1

thats right, if you go to your local Circle K they should have a rack of bananas

by the register. It's 49 cent/ lb! Its dirt cheap but aint cheap. Now i think I'll go make some banana bread from last week's batch.



BANANA TIPS:

1. don't buy green bananas, they're premature
2. just yellow is deceiving too...make sure it has slight brown spots(not mushy)
3. smell them, if its ripe and fresh U SHOULD'NT smell anything
   
4. store in dry place, NOT fridge
5. Open banana by pinching the bottom, then peel

Can't get the cap off?

This little trick is awesome. I just wanna put this out there. Use a rubber band to twist and wrap around the cap/top. then simply turn and *pop* its off.

do this with any top you can twist off


and all of a sudden, its off!
just another helpful hint from a pal to a pal.
Happy Twisting! Happy Hands

Black Chiffon

In the market for black chiffon? Well I am and. heres what i've come up with.


Why black chiffon...well b/c being that I live in AZ and its as hot as an oven outside layering is....well the phrase "Beauty is Pain" kinda sums it up. Dying of heat stroke aint my idea of fun so i've figured it out. Chiffon is awesome for coverage but great for hot weather. So next time you reach for that black undeshirt and spagetti strap...think of this different option. I know I am.








heres to get you excited about the idea...

not bad for $21.99. for the times you need a long sleeve find it here.

imagine being able to wear this

probably better off with white chiffon and of course short sleeves...but wouldn't that be soooo cute?! Stuff that i could never wear before would now be wearable. all ya gotta do is tweque the outfit by adding a shnazzy shirt! My brains boiling with creativity.

ou la la this is cute too...just caught my eye...i could work with this.

see, this would be the look im going for. This pc here is actually a one pc but imagine the top separate from the dress making it a two pc....are you following my vision? The top of this dress is like a white chiffon top. So that tube top shirt you've been dying to get but can figure out how you could wear it? All you have to do is fine a suitable chiffon top providing that coverage etc.

Use YoGurt instead

I delight in swimming my tongue in a spoonful of Stonyfield Farm's Organic Vanilla yogurt. Its ridiculously creamy and just perfect for a little morning sunshine or whenever a sugar crave attacks. Well, it had been weeks since I've enjoyed my yogurt and today was ..awesome! But what was even more awesome was the insight underneath the lid.

Did you know you can substitute sour cream/mayo with yogurt? Me neither. I mean it makes total sense...its practically the same stuff. You can totally "lighten Up" your meal with yogurt.



to view entire, click on photo.

Cook with yogurt instead!

And here is a recipe you and I can try out.
see next post!

Things you don't wanna know but Must!

Places of acutely HIGH GERM content: (MUST READ)


the playground/playplace
Ball pits
Water drinking fountains
Petting Zoo
Shopping Cart Handles
Children's Museums
Public High Chair
Computer Keyboards
Pets

Rule number 1: Never touch the mucus membrane entries such as Mouth, Nose, or Eyes.
now we may continue.


Playplace: your average jungle gym is likely to be more germ-INFESTED than a public bathroom. Depends on how often it gets sanitized.

How to stay safe: Just make known to thyself and loved ones(hehe) never to touch the mouth, nose or eyes before, during, and after. Clean your hands before you leave. (hand sanitizer-soap /water, etc)

Ball Pits: Best to steer clear indefinitely.

How to stay safe: But if you are willing to chance it; remember rule number 1. And wash thy hands before entering and exiting "The Pit"!!!


Pediatrics waiting room: is a "virtual petri dish" for germs.

-how to stay safe: wash thy hands before and after your visit, take along thy own toys and reading materials.

Water Fountains: a typical fountain contains more harmful germs than a public toilet seat b/c kids tend to touch the spigot either with fingers or mouth passing germs onto the next who takes a harmless sip. Cold and flu viruses can live on the metal for up to five hours! yikes!

-how to stay safe: Dont drink! nah, just kidding ya. Well remember and tell kids(etc) to keep his lips and fingers off AND to let the water run for a few seconds before drinking. Helps keep those mean nasty organisms away!

Petting Zoo: are linked to major E. coli outbreaks recently. Reason being that animals dont care where they lie down which in turn could mean traces of feces from the fur or saliva can get onto the hands. Eew!

How to stay safe: Lets just say Don't take kids under 3 years old or if you do don't let them touch, just look. Engage rule number one. Remember to wash your hands afterward and even ontop of that use an alcohol based hand jel.

Shopping cart handles: everybody's touching them and think of how many unclean surfaces each has touched that day! Sky rocketing the risk that you may catch something just from a simple visit to the market.

-stay safe- clean with disinfecting wipe before touching or putting a child in the cart. Shopping cart covers are nice but remember germs survive longer in fabric than on a plastic handle...so wash wash wash em' often.

Child's museum: again germs everywhere that can be encountered will be.

-stay safe-
So remember rule number one and teach others around you to do the same. Wash your hands before leaving-hand jel, what not.

Public High chair: The likely hood of that chair being cleaning beforehand? Yikes, highly doubt it. Germs commonly fester in places you can't reach(darn nooks and crannies!)

-stay safe-
take along a disposable high-chair cover or use disinfectin wipe on it.
also, wipe clean your own home high chair after each use with disinfecting spray( I use Clorox Anywhere solution) and wipe clean with paper towel. Its just common sense but were all human.

Computer Keyboards: more likely that there are more germs harvesting on these than a schools door knob. Hows that you say??? Because a school is cleaned everyday including those handles..whereas your keyboard, hmmm not really. Unless you're a freak(in a good way).

-stay safe-
Teach thyself and then some to sneeze into the crook of your arm, use a tissue to clean out the nose(not the finger, c'mon we've all done it!) and disinfect with wipe once a week to maintain a healthier balance. And of course wash your hands afterwards.


Pets: This one I LOVE To holler right back at pplz defending the phrase "my dog's mouth has less germs in it than a human mouth".

That "May" be so however ain't no way in hell the FUR or PAWS are!!!

Pets: can transmit harmful bacteria from feces on their fur or paws.

-stay safe-
just be sure to wash has before you doing anything after petting or coming in "contact" with a pet. Also, disinfect with spray in your homes entryways regularly.


Yup, that about does it, for now.


sites:
thanks to Parent's Mag and Google image search