Posts Tagged ‘kitchen’
I finished this knitting project last night for my mom. She asked if I would make her a bunch of kitchen dishcloths, which made me really excited. (Maybe she’s just humoring me, LOL!) They’re incredibly fast and easy. Sometime I’d like to try a tip that my friend Marilyn recently told me about. Wal-Mart’s craft department sells this threadlike stuff ~ it’s intended for a ballerina tutu or a wedding gown, to make the material somewhat pouffy. (I’d never heard of it before, but Marilyn bought some that’s green and said that there are different colors.) She holds this thread along with her yarn when she’s knitting a dishcloth, and it makes the dishcloth very scrubby. I felt one of her dishcloths, and it was like an exfoliant! Perfect for scrubbing dried grime off dishes (and probably lots of other household uses). I’m going to find some of that stuff the next time I’m there. One of my next knitting projects will be an Indiana dishcloth, and I’m very excited about that!
You may be wondering why I recently uploaded pictures of our dirty stove to Flickr. I love Mr. Clean Magic Erasers *so* much that the company actually mailed me a box full of free goodies! Included were the supplies for conducting a test to see whether Mr. Clean Magic Erasers clean things around the house better than “the leading brand,” which is Clorox spray cleaner with bleach. We’ve been using Mr. Clean Magic Erasers for a long time now ~ well, ever since having children! LOL! :) They’re wonderful. No need to convince me that they absolutely rock. But they sent a new fragrance that I hadn’t tried yet … Citrus & Light. Mmm, very nice for the kitchen! It was fun trying something new! There was a nice letter from a lady on their marketing staff, too.
Anyway, first I used both products to clean soap scum off two tiles they provided. The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser worked *so* much better, although I wonder whether the tiles were actually covered with a soap material or whether it was some kind of “simulation.” Regardless, I’ve used Mr. Clean Magic Erasers in our bathroom, and they work like a charm.
Next, I used the Crayola marker that they provided to draw on each tile. Both products worked exactly the same to remove the red marker, although I think that the Magic Eraser was a bit neater (no spray everywhere). Also, they provided me with a box of Crayola crayons to draw on a blank wall to see which brand removed the crayon marks better. Without a doubt, it was the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Lucas went through a phase (around age two) when he colored on everything ~ most often, our walls. For a while, Mr. Clean Magic Erasers were the only thing that saved my sanity! LOL! :)
The company even sent me a wooden spoon with a recipe card attached. The directions said, “Use the enclosed wooden spoon to prepare Mr. Clean’s chili recipe and make a mess!” LOL! :) So, I did. (Well, I actually made my own chili recipe with ground turkey.) I then did a test to see which product cleaned our dirty stove better. Honestly, they both did a good job, but I think that the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser did a little bit better. We usually use a liquid flat-top stove cleaner, but the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser was much more convenient. The only thing that I’m wondering is whether Mr. Clean Magic Erasers could be manufactured with antibacterial properties? That would be super nice for the kitchen and bathrooms, in particular.
My favorite Mr. Clean Magic Eraser fragrance is the Meadows & Rain. So refreshing and makes our house smell *so* good. We also use the liquid cleaner (diluted) in order to wash things around the house, such as wood floors and kitchen tile. One thing I noticed in the marketing information they sent me, though, is that there’s also another fragrance: Lavender Vanilla & Comfort. I *definitely* want to try that one but haven’t seen it in our stores yet. Also, I didn’t know that Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Wipes existed. That’s awesome! The website also gives good tips for how to use everything.
It was *so* cool to receive a free “test” in the mail. Just a note ~ the company isn’t paying me to review these products on my blog. I just wanted to share the results of the test because I am a sucker for nifty cleaning supplies (and these work wonderfully). I highly recommend Mr. Clean Magic Erasers to anyone ~ especially to those of you out there who have children! :)
For my birthday last month, my parents bought me a brand-new four-cup Cuisinart coffee maker. It’s absolutely *perfect* because I’m the only one in our household who drinks coffee. Before, I was making an entire pot and throwing out most of the coffee because I only drink one or two cups. This way, I have exactly the amount of coffee that I want ~ and it also doesn’t take very long to make (a plus when you have two toddlers who need breakfast ASAP!). I’ve been alternating lately between Dunkin’ Donuts decaf and Green Mountain pumpkin-spice decaf (*so* delicious!).
Anyway, this morning when I opened the coffee maker lid, I made a *horrible* discovery. Our brand-new coffee maker has gone over to the dark side of the Force:
See how the lid is shaped just like Darth Vader’s helmet? Hang on a second … I’d better go check our food processor … it could be shaped like the Death Star.
By sick people, that is!
A few days ago, Meredith threw up a couple of times in our kitchen. I didn’t think much of it; she had been chewing on the edge of a sticker sheet, and I assumed that she had just stuck the sheet back into her mouth too far and gagged. She seemed absolutely fine afterward. Well, early Wednesday morning (around 4:45 a.m.), I woke up to the sounds of Jeff getting sick in our bathroom. I went in to check on him, and he wondered whether it was food poisoning. He went back to bed and got some rest, and then when Lucas woke up, he started getting sick, too. Fun times. :( Poor Luke couldn’t hold much of anything down, but somehow last night he was able to eat a package of fruit snacks just fine. Strange! So, obviously, a tummy bug hit our household ~ and we have *no* idea where it came from.
Everyone’s feeling *much* better now, though. Jeff went back to work today (and even drove to Buffalo, NY, this afternoon for an overnight trip!). Meredith still feels a little warm, but she’s *always* warm. Lucas fell asleep very quickly this evening … he’s probably still not totally 100 percent. He’s eating more, though, which is good. And terrorizing his little sister is always a sign that he’s back to his normal self! :)
Me? A situation like this is pretty much my own personal nightmare. :( It’s awfully difficult for someone who’s emetophobic, and I’ve been hoping and praying with all my might that I don’t come down with what everyone else had. I woke up this morning feeling achy all over and quite “blah,” but after I laid down for a while, I seemed to feel better. Not sure whether I’m “out of the woods” yet. Ahh, I need an ocean vacation to the Outer Banks or something! LOL! :) Surprisingly, I think that I’ve handled this entire situation a *lot* better than I would have in the past, now that I’m taking this anxiety medication. But when I think about what Laura and her family are going through right now with their eldest daughter, Rebecca, it pales in comparison. I was *so* happy to hear positive news in her blog today. And I’m relieved to hear that Chas over at Sugar and Ice is feeling *much* better now, too, and that her precious babies are OK.
Here’s hoping that everyone out there who is reading this is feeling 100 percent healthy and well!
As I mentioned before, my sophomore year college roommate is coming to visit on Thursday and is staying with us until Sunday. Pretty much all of our meals are covered (I figure that sandwich-type stuff will do for lunches ~ or going out to eat). But dinner is another story. I’d like to make a yummy meal for us to enjoy on Thursday evening. (Friday night, we might take her out to eat at our local café, and Saturday night will probably be cookout leftovers.) I just don’t know what to fix. (Funny … tons of clipped recipes in our kitchen but yet I just don’t know which one to choose!)
It would be great to find a dinner dish that’s relatively quick and easy to put together (because I’d rather talk with Claire instead of dealing with a bunch of complicated ingredients in the kitchen). But I’d also like a “wow” factor, too, you know? It’s somewhat difficult because I don’t know what Claire and her daughter like to eat, not to mention whether they have any food allergies (I totally forgot to ask her). I suppose that the dish should be pretty kid friendly, too. Something in the slow cooker would work, and maybe something kind of summery.
Everyone likes pasta, right? Maybe a nice pasta dish with yummy bread and salad? No clue yet about dessert. I thought that I would ask you culinary types out here in blogland to find out whether you’ve fixed any awesome dinner recipes lately or know of some cool links where I could find some. I’ll probably go grocery shopping tomorrow (or even tonight on the way home after dealing with my stupid speeding ticket!). Thanks in advance!
And speaking of food, I’m off to fix the kiddos their lunches. PB&J, here I come! :)
