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Homemade Grout Cleaner

HOMEMADE GROUT CLEANER

7 cups water
1/2 cup baking soda
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup vinegar

 throw in a spray bottle and spray your floor, let it sit for a minute or two... then scrub.

source: facebook

Family Fun: Road Trip

As the summer days of freedom start to depart we begin to get a bit worried about getting everything we can out of summer. Back to school time starts to signal  that the last warm weather family event is soon to depart. Our family always takes a road trip in the early months of fall. It is something to look forward to after having to adjust to the activity involved with back to school. There are a few of our family members that do not like the heat as well and breathe easier in the cooler weather. Want to plan a fall family trip with your family this year?? Keep in mind a few tips

Plan your trip, plan the route you will take and try to decide where you will need to stop. We travel with young children who can travel quite a bit but may need more breaks than older children or adults. Take a look at what restaurants, diners, or stops are on your way there. Remember we will all have stories to take back home with us why not make it some cool stops along the way??

 

Keep some activities in the car for the passengers both old and younger ones. Books, colors, stickers, small toys, hand held games even a pillow will make for happier passengers. Entertainment in the form of music or if you are lucky enough dvd's. These will help keep the little ones entertained during the ride which makes it easier for all to have a great time.

 

 

Make the trip educational. If your child is old enough to read, allow them to follow along on the map. Another great idea is to play car bingos where you look for different objects. Another car game that we loved to play was simply counting cars, everyone chose a color and we kept track of the cars that passed that were in our chosen color

 

Save money and your sanity. Bring along snacks rather than stopping for them at gas stations. It is cheaper and you all ready know what your family likes to snack on. Likewise bring along their needs whether it is a certain pillow, toy or blanket make sure that you pack it. Quick Tip: for parents remember to take a long a thermos as many times gas stations will allow you to fill it fairly cheap

 

Whatever you do and where ever you travel remember to enjoy yourself and have some fun

Back To School Meal : Taco Pie

1 lb lean ground beef
1 sweet onion finely chopped
1 tea garlic
* saute until beef if browned and onions tender, drain if necessary, set aside.

1 can tomato paste
1 C water
1 sm can green chills (optional)
1 Tlb chili powder
1 Tlb taco sauce
1 Tlb dry ranch seasoning
1/2 tea sugar
1/2 tea pepper
1/2 tea garlic salt
1/4 tea cumin
* add to beef mixture and stir well

6 small flour tortillas
2-3 C monterrey jack cheese - colby jack will work ok too but prefer monterrey
1/2 can olives - thinly sliced
1 tomato - diced

In a round dish similar to a pie die but deeper or a rectangle glass Pyrex pan layer tortillas, meat sauce, cheese, olives tomatoes, repeat 3 times total. Bake covered at 350 for approx 30-40 minutes. Serve with sour cream, shredded lettuce, rice and chips.

Frozen Mud Pie

Life this hard may be a little hard with work, back to school and so many other things going on it may just be time for a delicious treat. Check out this frozen mud pie, might be perfect to unwind this weekend.

Frozen MudPie
Mr. Food recipe

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
3 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur
1 quart chocolate ice cream, softened container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided         

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped pecans, divided          

1 prepared 9-inch chocolate graham cracker pie crust

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted       

 

In a large bowl, dissolve the coffee granules in the coffee liqueur. Add the ice cream, half of the whipped topping, and 1/2 cup pecans Mix Well. Pour into a pie crust, cover, and freeze for at least 4 hours. Top with the remaining whipped topping and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons pecans.   Drizzle with the melted chocolate, and freeze for 4 more hours, or until firm. Serve, or cover and keep frozen until ready to serve. 

Make New Friends

Making and having friends is very important to all of us. When you work or go to school you want to have a few good friends. It is very important for our little ones as well. They may find it hard or awkward at times to make friends. There are somethings that we may be able to do to help them make friends

If you have friends and they see how well you get along with  you friends then they will be able to model this behavior. It is important that you show a give and take relationship and build on this at home. Princess is learning the hard way that while she may win some games at home she is not always the winner. This helps her learn the skills of give and take. She also learns that when someone is sad or not feeling well that we try to help them out. I think living in a large family helps us out there.

Knowing our child's personality will help us help them as well. Our princess loves to be the leader and is a little social bee but our nephew is quite the other way being a bit shy but wanting to be in the group. One thing that we do is try to get them out with other children where they can play and make friends. It never surprises me that Princess always makes a new friend and bud loves it as well, being part of the group. Pushing your child to much will not make anything better, knowing where they are comfortable is what is important

Help your child work through childhood friendship problems and drama. Yes, I did say drama you may be surprised as to what may come up. It is important to help your child understand the situation and things from both sides.

In the beginning I was guilty of choosing my child's friends or trying to (by the way this did not work) It is important that your child find their own friends. I nearly always tried to point princess towards children who went to our church, we knew their parents or way or another fit into our circle. The truth is she liked most of everyone and made friends that crossed through so many barriers and she really loved it. She did not worry about who was popular and neither should we, allowing her to enjoy her friends was the best.

Have a chat with your child before school starts about bullies. We have all ready seen our share and it is very important to not let it continue but to speak up and let someone know.

Back 2 School Week

Its back to school week are you ready??? Well ready or not the time has come. Now what can you do to help make it the best ever back to school??

Time to change your summer schedule into a back to school schedule. Waking up early, eating meals at a time that fits into the schedule.

Head to the parent orientation meeting. We did this last night we met the teacher and checked out the room.

As the teacher shared last night there will be lots of papers to share out with information that not only she needs but the office as well. It is important for a couple of reasons that these papers get turned back in at once. One reason is that the school really needs them and another is so that they wont get misplaced

We have one grand-baby that will ride a bus and another one that will not. It is a great idea to get in the car and take the children to the school in the car so that they know where the school is and that it is ok

Tomorrow we will take our grand-babies shopping for those after school snacks and for good school lunches. This is important to do together. One reason is because we want to have our input in the snacks and what goes in the lunch but they also know what they will eat.

Last night our teacher mentioned homework. We welcome it and will have our own little work station to do it at. We will have supplies at the ready so that homework can be done easily. A good idea is to have a place for pencils, crayons and what ever will be needed, if you have a desk then great you are ready if not a shoe box with a couple of cups does a great job as well. As far as keeping papers neat get a homework folder that can go back and forth from school and home.

Its never to early to get them into reading a good book this also prepares them to do them homework when it comes time. Set aside a moment in time to have study time.

Be excited if you are excited the emotion often overflows and your child will be excited as well. .

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Home Remedy Helps Treat Little Messes

We are very fond of our animals. I treat them as if they are part of the family. Just like family they can make mistakes. Sometimes this mistake may be something they did wrong or perhaps you did not listen as they were telling you they had to go. Either way, the best thing to do after the fact is to use this little home remedy


Pet Urine/Poop Stain and Odor Remover

1(8 ounce) bottle hydrogen peroxide
2teaspoons baking soda
1 -2drop liquid dish soap...

Mix all together gently and pour in a spray bottle.
Do no shake up this mix or you may have a lot of foam. I have also used a watering can this works well also.
Spray onto urine stain and walk away. Allow to dry. No need to rub or scrub the area. For tough odors you may have to repeat.
I would also check your fabric/carpet for color fastness before using due to the peroixide content. I have never had any problems with any fabric changing colors from this mix.

Everyone needs a recipe for this

Vanilla Custard Pie

Vanilla Custard Pie Recipe

        

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• FILLING:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• MERINGUE:
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

Directions

• 1. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and butter; press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. pie plate. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
• 2. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt. Stir in milk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in vanilla. Pour into crust.
• 3. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Spread over hot filling, sealing edges to crust. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs.
• 4. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Yield: 8 servings.

recipe source Taste of Home

Love your Feet

 

Take a minute and love your feet. If you are a diabetic like I am then taking care of your feet takes on an all new importance. Taking a bit of time to love your feet can save you a future of feet problems.

 

 

 

American Artist Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol is one of the most memorable artist in America. It was his creative artwork that has been featured in many pop culture sights and books. The colors in his art work, his setting and the stars that were in many of his pieces all made Warhol bigger than life. One of my art professors said that some of Warhol's pieces made the star rather than the star making the piece.

Andy Warhol entered the world on August 6, 1928. He was one of the leading artist in pop art and his work would explore the relationship between artistic expression, celebrity culture and advertisement. It would be the life of a commercial illustrator that would bring Warhol on the scene.  In his life he would create some of the most expensive art.

Art in a variety of medias from drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, silk screening, sculpture, film and music would be left behind by the famous mr. Warhol. The Andy Warhol museum in Pittsburg Pennsylvania holds many of his works and is the largest museum dedicated to a single artist. Warhol even dabbled in computer generated art and creative designs.

Warhol was a proud gay man who lived his life openly. His studio nicknamed the factory was a gathering place for many intellectuals, drag queens, playwrights, street people, Hollywood celebrities and wealthy patrons. I can only imagine the parties and conversations that went on there.

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Treasure Box Tuesday

Giveaways entered 8/17

I am sure that there are many things in your life that make you feel blessed. Now you can bring home the lesson of counting your blessings with this fun childrens book.

Enter to win it in a giveaway at Heck of a Bunch. Giveaway ends 8/29


Back to school time is here and its also time to get organized. So it would be wise to enter this giveaway for a $75 gift card to Erin Condren organizational tools.

we entered here

National Thrift Store Day makes Me Happy

August is admit you are happy month. Yes there are many things that make me happy, my family, my job singing and working on my blog all make the list of things that make me happy. One thing you all may not know about me is that I love to thrift. Today, august 17 is national thrift store day. So add thrifting to the list of things I love to do.

I would consider myself in the 39% that thrift at least one time a month. In my case it is about once a week or maybe more if I have the time. Yes, it is very cost effective I consider it a form of entertainment and love to see what all I can find. In our shopping cart you may find something for a family member (especially grand babies), something to resale or something for the house.

Do you like to shop at thrift stores? What do you shop for? Does thrifting make you happy??

Back To School Lunch Box Idea

Back to school season means many different things. It means that summer is ending and the great family times will be slimming. It also means that meals will be sporadic and there will be many times that we will not be eating together. This recipe I share today is perfect for times like this or even for lunch boxes. I hope you enjoy

Individual Seven-Layer Dips

Makes about 8 individual dips

1 (16 ounce) can refried beans

1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning

1 cup guacamole

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

1 cup chunky salsa or pico de gallo

1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 bunch of green onions, sliced

1 (2.25 ounce) can of sliced olives, drained

9 ounce plastic tumblers

tortilla chips

In a small bowl mix taco seasoning with refried beans. Some people prefer to mix their taco seasoning with the sour cream layer but I wanted a bright white layer so I did it with the beans.

Here's how the layers are assembled:

Layer 1: beans and taco seasoning

Layer 2: sour cream

Layer 3: guacamole

Layer 4: salsa or pico de gallo

Layer 5: cheese

Layer 6: tomatoes

Layer 7: green onions and olives

In each plastic glass, layer about 2 Tablespoons of the beans, followed by 2 Tablespoons of sour cream, 2 Tablespoons of guacamole, 2 Tablespoons of salsa or pico de gallo, and 2 Tablespoons of cheese. Make sure you drain your salsa or pico to get the excess liquid out before you pour it on. Then top with about 1-2 teaspoons of tomatoes, olives, and green onion (If making ahead of time, wait to add these toppings until shortly before serving).

Garnish with one tortilla chip. Store in the refrigerator until serving and serve with chips. Makes around 8 individual dips.

Rum : A Drink For Adults Only

Today is a day that salutes Rum. I am sure many individuals have saluted rum in one fashion or another. Rum was once rationed to the British Navy sailors a half pint a day. Rum is a spirit distilled from molasses (a byproduct of sugar manufacture). Rum has even been created using straight cane juice. West Indies plays home to rum with each island offering a slightly different version. It seemed that Spanish speaking islands would have lighter forms of rum and English speaking islands would have darker rums.

Hot Buttered Rum

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

 

EACH SERVING:

1/2 cup boiling water

1 to 3 tablespoons rum

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the ice cream, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover and store in the freezer. For each serving, place 1/2 cup butter mixture in a mug; add boiling water and stir to dissolve. Stir in rum. Yield: 7 servings (3-1/2 cups mix).

Roller Coaster Safety Tips

It seems that lately there has been a lot of news about individuals getting hurt on the roller coasters. This to me is very scary. If you are like me you want to know what is coming at you. Here are a few safety tips you may want to keep in mind

1. On most roller coasters there is a recommended age, height, weight and health restriction. These are there for a reason. They are there to help keep you safe and should be obeyed.

2. If you are not sure how the ride goes then you may want to watch it for a bit of time before getting on. This will help you know what to expect. In most cases this should be easy as you wait in line to get on.

3. Don't assume or be afraid to ask if something does not seem right to you. This includes how you are strapped in or anything you may see that does not appear right

4. I have always heard since I was old enough to ride on roller coasters that it is important to keep your head, hands, arms, legs and feet inside the ride at all times. Enough said, we can all imagine the dangers of what might happen if they do not. it is also important to not remove your safety belt/lap bars/ shoulder harness or exit ride until you are instructed to do so.

5. Remember to have fun, the rides are not going anywhere so take your time and breaks between rides. Enjoy your day

ABC Eggs

I simply love re-using what we don't need but hate to throw away. It does not have to be easter time , it seems there are always pesky plastic easter eggs around. You can even find these at yard sales or at least in my neck of the woods you can. So why not use them in an educational manner that will help our children

First separate the halves and mark one end with capital letters and the other with lower case latters. They can be matched as shown or you can play pick them up as you sing the abc alphabet song.

have a bit of fun and as you know I believe that when lessons are learned while having fun they seem to stick in the memory

This week at Annies Home

As we review what we shared here on annies home last week one theme was back to school. There were a few subjects such as art that is not present in schools as it was once upon a time. That is why it is so important to learn all we can so that we can share with our children. One great artist was Sue Fuller and her beautiful string art.

Check out the post and you will find a great way to create your own string art. Rick Timmons another American artist who approaches his background and creates beautiful art was also shared on our blog.

The field of music is much like art in the fact that it is slowly disappearing from our schools. I played the clarinet in band and shared this post about the inventor of the clarinet.

This week also should have seen a lot of smiles as it was time to give a smile and get one as well. Smiling is good for your health. Even when you are feeling blue put a smile on your face and your smile will help influence your mood. The world should be a bit less stressful with a smile.

We shared lots of great recipes with you last week perfect for back to school time. Recipes like

 

Hawaiian Haystacks



 



Mock Filet Mignon

Biscuit and gravy casserole

This week is also Scrabble Week so I shared many different post about scrabble and how to win.

 

This week we also celebrated food holidays like peaches and julienne fries

 

 

 

We also shared a great product with you. Awesome for adults or children and perfect for back to school time

 

http://shopannies.blogspot.com/2015/08/zubits-review.html

 

 

 

Took a moment of time and shared one of my favorite summer or any time activities. That of a bit of romance

 

 

 

 

Just in case things get to hot and because this is the month to share great inventors and inventions I shared all about an invention that has helped cool our summers down.

 

 

Household tips such as why there is an odor in your water as well as how to keep your lettuce fresher was shared to help you maintain your home.

 

 

 

Finally we shared some awesome picnic recipes with you so that you can enjoy the summer with some great company as well. A bean recipe and potato salad will I believe be nice additions to your personal favorites

 

Til next week when we update you again be sure to check into annies home daily

 

 

Back to School Meal : Crockpot Lasagna Soup

1 lb extra lean ground beef/turkey or sausage
1/2 C grated onion
1 heaping tsp fresh garlic
1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1 1/2 Tlb dried basil (you can use fresh also just not as much)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp oregano
pinch of nutmeg
1 - 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 - 14.5 can diced tomatoes
1 - 6 oz can tomato paste
1 C apple juice
4 beef bouillon cubes
1 1/2 C water
1-2 C sliced or cubed zucchini

12 oz package Armoniche noodles - itty bitty lasagna noodles but any small pasta would really work fine.

2-3 C mozzarella and parmesan cheese for garnish - I usually do equal parts of each and mix it together

Cook meat and onion together until cooked, drain then combine in a crock pot all other ingredients. Let simmer on low minimum 3 hours. Boil noodles until tender but do not overcook, add to soup within 30 minutes of serving. Do not let it keep cooking or the noodles will overcook and get mushy. Serve with lots of cheese on top and fresh asiago cheese bread.

Barbq beans

One thing that our family has at almost every summer dinner is beans. There are so many ways to fix them but beans in some fashion is always enjoyed. Just like we hope you enjoy this recipe


Andra's Barbecue Beans Recipe:

 

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup catsup
Salt to taste
2 (16-ounce) can pork and beans, drained and rinsed
2 (15 1/4-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 1/4-ounce) can lima beans, drained and rinsed*

* You may substitute other types beans of your choice, such as canned pinto beans, black beans, and/or white kidney beans.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large frying pan, sauté onion and garlic in butter. Stir in cider vinegar, sugar, prepared mustard, Worcestershire sauce, catsup, and salt; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until well blended. Remove from heat.

In an ungreased large casserole dish or Dutch oven, combine the pork and beans, kidney beans, and lima beans. Pour the prepared catsup mixture over top and mix well.

Bake, uncovered, 1 hour. Remove from oven and serve.

Serves many.

 

---

Slow Cooker Method:

I have also cooked these beans in my crock pot (slow cooker).
So easy to do - just prepare the beans in the morning and place in your crock pot over low heat for 6 to 8 hours.

 recipe source here

Health Benefits of Smiling

Smiling goes hand in hand with laughter as I have yet to see someone laugh with a frown. So it easy to diagnose that smiling helps you feel better and can boost your immune system. A person that is happy is more relaxed and feels better as a smile is a reflex reaction to pleasant situations as well as an expression of joy. Smiling releases endorphins into our body and we feel better and happier.

If you have visited annies home within the last few days you have read where smiling is good for your health as well as is good for your mood and reduces stress. Smiling will help us live a longer more productive life. You can start smiling at the thought that a happy person will have less pain and aggression in their life. Smiling puts us in a more relaxed mood and helps us to lower our heart rate and relax the body.

So put a smile on your face and have a good laugh knowing that there are health benefits to smiling

Scrabble is a Religion

Tournament Scrabble is quite mysterious like many religions. 

 

 

 

other players are always trying to 'convert' other players

 

strange meetings where the game of scrabble is played with strict regulations and guidelines sort of like a church meeting

 

all scrabble players know that there is a book with the answers very common to those in religions

 

there are gurus that are committed to the game

 

some scrabble players have strange rituals when playing the game