Poo-Pourri Definitely Problem Solved!

 

 Poo-Pourri

 

Well, this is the product I was alluding to the other day. I was beaten to the finish line by the Today Show as they had this on TV this morning. I figured I would post it anyway as it is turning out to be a bigger solution than I ever dreamed it would be. I bought it,tried it and it absolutely works.

 

I even forced my husband to use it and life has been bliss ever since!

 

My problem was, how to convince the rest of the world it was the best. I wondered how to share this amazing invention with my house guests without offending them. Turns out, they instantly loved the idea and ordered some.My co-workers had the same reaction! They instantly ordered it and could not wait to share the news with others.

 

Did you ever think we could all be so excited about a problem solved? I guess it was a really BIG problem for everyone.

 

I had to describe my experience first, but now I will explain the product. You spray it on the surface of the water in your toilet bowl before you, ....uh....you know!

It traps the odor and flushes it away. All you smell are the botanical oils in the product. It takes all the stress away from having to share a toilet!!

 

My husband and I play this game "did you ever think?". Did I ever think I would being talking about bathroom odor publicly?? No, but I tell you it is worth it now!

 

 

 



Birthday Pecan Pie

Yesterday, my friend Abby worked very hard on 2 yummy pies for my birthday. She made a scrumptious apple pie and a double pecan chocolate pie. They were both wonderful and she sent me the recipe for the pecan pie. I am going to make it for Christmas! It was filled with tons of pecans and big dark Ghiradelli chocolate pieces. Check out the link below and we can all have a sweeter holiday!

Double Pecan Chocolate Pie Link

Cluster Fly Solution/ Any Fly Solution!

Horse Owners: This works very well in the barn too!

 

Cluster flies! I have them in the Adirondacks and I had them in Harvard, MA long ago. If you don't know what they are, you are lucky! For those of us that know all too well what they are, here you go! This insecticide is labeled for food storage and restaurants. I discovered it when we lived in MA and my local Agway guy recommended it. It is AMAZING!

 

A couple of short bursts and you can take down hundreds. It is immediate. This way, they don't have a chance to muck up your walls or reproduce. It is a large can and lasts a very long time as you don't need to use much. Hey, someone had to solve this problem. Wait til you see another subject I bring up in a couple of days!

 

See if your local Agway has it. If not, here is a link:

 

http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com 

Turkey Pot Pie Recipe

Ah, what to do with leftovers from Thanksgiving? I actually didn't have too many this year, which is amazing. My husband and I did have just enough leftover to make these pot pies though.
Update: I put the 2 extra pies in the fridge uncovered for almost a week. I reheated them at 350 on the lower rack for maybe 30-40 minutes and they tasted like I had just made them!

 

 

Crust

 

2 1/2 cups flour

 

12 TBS cold butter

 

8 TBS cold Crisco

 

7 TBS Ice water

 

1/4 tsp salt

 

big pinch of black pepper

 

pinch of ground sage

 

 

Mix flour,pepper,sage and salt. Cut butter, then Crisco into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or food processor until it looks sandy. Remove from processor (if you used one) and put mixture in a bowl. Add the ice water and bring the mixture into a dough. Divide into 8 balls,  push them down into discs, wrap and let rest in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour.

 

Filling

 

3 carrots, diced

1 medium onion, diced

3 stalks celery, diced
1/8 tsp granulated garlic (do not use powdered garlic or garlic salt)

2 cups cooked turkey meat shredded or diced

1 TBS flour

3 TBS butter

1/4 cup white wine that you would drink (don't ever use "cooking wine")

1 1/2 cups leftover gravy still cold from the fridge

salt and pepper to taste

 

Preheat oven to 450 F. Melt butter and put carrots, onion and celery in the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until veggies are tender but with a little crunch left to them. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies, add the turkey meat and the wine and cook for a minute longer. Let that mixture cool while you roll out the dough.

 

Roll out 4 pieces of dough to fit the bottoms of the ramekins. Divide the turkey mixture evenly among the ramekins. Grind more fresh black pepper over each pie. Spoon the COLD gravy equally over the turkey mixtures. Roll out the top crusts and cover the pies. Pinch the crusts together and put 4 slits in the top of each one. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in the lower half of the oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F , put the pies in the upper half of the oven and cook for 30 minutes longer or until the crust is slightly browned on the edges and the middle. Everything inside is cooked so you are really just making sure the crust is done.

Let rest for 5-10 minutes so you don't burn your mouth, then enjoy!

 

Oh, and if you want the cute pot pie ramekins, here is the link:

http://www.qvc.com/Temp-tations-Old-World-8-piece-Ceramic-Baking-Set

 

 

Healthy Holiday Green Bean Salad

 

 There is always the dilemma about what to serve around Holiday time along with all the rich casseroles. You want to serve something green, but that is usually in casserole form too. Then there is the problem of too many sides that need to go in the oven.

 

Here is a recipe for a crisp and bright green bean salad you can make ahead and serve at room temperature.

 

PROBLEM SOLVED!

 

 

1 1/2 lbs fresh green beans, ends trimmed and cut into bite size pieces

8 oz of MapleBrook Farm feta cheese, crumbled(more about that later)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup Marcona or toasted slivered almonds

Zest of 1 lemon and juice of 1/2 that lemon
1 small shallot or 1/4 onion super thinly sliced

2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp Champagne vinegar

Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Blanch the beans for 2 minutes in salted boiling water until they are crisp/tender, do NOT overcook them.Take them out of the hot water right away and put them into a bowl of ice water. Once cooled, drain them on a paper towel and set aside in a bowl.

Shave the shallot or onion on a mandolin and add them to the beans. If you don't own a mandolin, slice them as thinly as possible. Here is a link to buying a mandolin on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Kyocera-Double-edged-Slicer

Add the feta, lemon zest and juice,olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss all together to combine.
Just before serving, put the almonds in and toss one more time.
The lemon is a key ingredient so make sure to put that on your shopping list.
Generally, I am not a fan of feta, but this brand is made from cow's milk and is not salty. It is sweet and creamy and only slightly crumbly.

Here is the link to that wonderful cheese!
http://maplebrookvt.com

I will go into more depth about this farm on another day. It deserves it's own page!

Marcona almonds are sweeter and more crunchy than regular almonds. You can buy them at Trader Joe's, Costco and on-line.
http://www.nuts.com


 

 



Hollywood Fashion Tape

Wardrobe Malfunction

 

Let's face it, famous or not, we have ALL had a wardrobe malfunction more than once in our lives!

This nifty little tape will keep your clothes in line and is amazingly strong. It has kept my tank top attached to my bra straps even at 60mph when I am riding my motorcycle down the road.

 

It also comes in dots to keep scarves and other small items in place. It is gentle on fabric and can even go on bare skin to keep items in place.

The website has lots of great ideas to tackle clothing issues!

 

You can buy it on Amazon



 Hollywood Fashion Tape

 

or go to

http://hollywoodfashionsecrets.com/

Decorate your guest bath/laundry room

Is the only bathroom your guests can use also your laundry room?

I live in an old house and my downstairs bathroom is also where my washer and dryer live. As a result, it doesn't make for a very pretty guest bathroom. I have a little trick to make it more inviting.

 Put a few placemats or a nice piece of seasonal fabric on the washer and dryer tops. Add a plate with candles in the foreground and then decorate around the candles. I like to use several heights so it fills in the area nicely and hides as much of the appliance tops as possible. I have used little hat boxes here to add height, but you can use paint cans, wood blocks, saucepans, or anything to add dimension. Use a piece of fabric to cover ordinary items and that will give you a flat surface to put your decorations on.

The candles will also light up a dark room and give your guests a chance to find the light switch!

PROBLEM SOLVED.