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In Celebration of National Poetry Month, I Present Some My Favorite Poems

April 21, 2008 Leave a Comment

Hello Everyone! Since I’m a big literature fan, and because April is National Poetry Month, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite poems with you guys.

Poetry may not have anything to do with recipes, organizing, housekeeping or any of the other things I usually blog about, but poetry, art, music, and literature is good for the soul.

Poetry is a great escape from the troubles and day to day struggles of our lives and our world. It gives us the opportunity to explore the past and present, to learn new things about ourselves, and gain insight into the human condition.

Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe

Bright Star by John Keats

The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot

The Widow’s Lament in Springtime by Wiliam Carlos Willaims

To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time by Robert Herrick

Loveliest of Trees by A.E. Housman

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love by Christopher Marlowe

The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd by Sir Walter Raleigh

The Mending Wall by Robert Frost

The Lamb by William Blake

The Tiger by William Blake

Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare

Mr. Flood’s Party by E.A. Robinson

Miniver Cheevy by E.A. Robinson

Filed Under: About Me

Recipe of the Week: Chocolate Banana Split Cupcakes

April 18, 2008 5 Comments

Here’s another yummy cupcake recipe, courtesy of Taste of Home. And that’s all I’ve got to say about that!

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 milk chocolate bars (1.55 ounces each) broken into squares, divided

FROSTING:
1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
12 maraschino cherries with stems

Directions:
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the banana, butter, buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients; stir just until combined. Fold in the nuts. Spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into each paper-lined muffin cup. Top each with one candy bar square. Fill the remainder of the cup two-thirds full with batter.

Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cupcake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, butter, vanilla and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes. In a microwave, melt the remaining candy bar squares; drizzle over frosting. Top each with a cherry. Yield: 1 dozen.

Filed Under: cupcakes, Recipe of the Week

Send & Recieve Money for Free, Get a $25 Bonus, & Help Me at the Same Time

April 16, 2008 Leave a Comment
Hey Everyone. Near the top of my blog on the right hand sign, you’ll find a green graphic that says, “Sign Up Now & Get $25.” I don’t usually talk much about affiliate programs that I link up to on my site, but this is a pretty good program, so I wanted to mention it.

I just signed up for Revolution Moneyexchange. It is a program that is very similar to paypal. Basically you sign up and your account is linked to a bank account, and you send and recieve money for free. (use it to make purchases online, request money from online customers, or send and recieve money from a friend or family member without making a trip to the bank)

When you sign up, you automatically receive $25 in your account. Plus they currently have a refer-a-friend program. For every person that you refer by email or via your blog or website, you’ll recieve $10. (not too shabby)

I don’t know about you, but I can always use a little extra cash, and it also doesn’t hurt to have an alternative to paypal either. So please click on the graphic near the top, right hand side of my blog and sign up. It takes less than 5 minutes, and we’ll both get paid!

Filed Under: announcements, personal finances, saving money

Spring Cleaning: The Living Room & Den, Part 2

April 14, 2008 Leave a Comment

Just a few more cleaning tips to spruce up you living room area and den:

-Dusting: Remove items from your entertainment center, coffee table, etc. and dust your furniture to give it a clean shine and eliminate allergens. Also, take a moment to dust picture frames and knick knacks, and dust/clean lamps, ceiling fans, and lighting fixtures.

-Eliminate Clutter by Creating a Space – De-clutter your living room by creating a space for room-cluttering items. Purchase a media cabinet for movies, video games, etc. Purchase a toy box for quick storage of kid’s toys in the living room. Or purcahse a hall tree to hang coats, umbrellas, etc.

-De-clutter by getting rid of unwanted knick knacks and decor.

-Controllers and game clutter- Come up with a place to store video game controllers and tv remotes so that they are out of the way. Perhaps place them in a special bin or basket that looks nice or hide them away in a media cabinet.

Creating a work & hobby space – If your living room is used as a game room, hobby room, or work space, or home office/family computer area, create a designated space that is just for this purpose (perhaps in the corner), and make an effort to de-clutter and organize it.

-Windows – Take down curtains and blinds to be cleaned. Use a vacuum to clean the base of the window. Wash windows inside and out.

-Spruce up walls – Dust walls with a swiffer, wipe down base boards, and touch up scuff marks. And get rid of cobwebs in the corners.

-Rearrange: Change the look of your living room by rearranging picture frames, decor, or furniture.

-Mats & Rugs – Clean or replace rugs and mats in your living room area, especially those in high traffic areas and doorways.

Related Articles:
Creating a Shoe Station

Filed Under: cleaning, Home/Garden

Menu Plan Monday for April 14

April 13, 2008 2 Comments

Monday – Ranch Chicken w/ herb rice & veggies
Tuesday – Country Fried steak, mashed potatoes & gravy, peas
Wednesday – Cheeseburger macaroni, corn, veggies
Thursday – Chicken Quesadillas
Friday – Chicken pot pies (& any leftover vegetables)
Saturday – eat out
Sunday – Tilapia Filets w/ french fries, potato salad, hush puppies
For other great menu choices, visit http://orgjunkie.com

Filed Under: menu plan Monday

Recipe of the Week: Lemon Cream Cheese Cupcakes

April 12, 2008 3 Comments
This week I’m on a new recipe “kick” so to speak, and I’ve found a bunch of new, tasty things to try over the next few weeks, including this lovely cupcake recipe from Kraft. I’m an absoulte cheesecake fanatic and I love lemon pies and cakes too, so I think the combination of these two flavors into a cupcake is just awesome.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix
1 pkg. (4-serving) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 cup water
4 egg whites
2 Tbsp. oil
1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, egg whites and oil in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. (Batter will be thick.) Beat on medium speed 2 min. Spoon batter evenly into 24 paper-lined 2-1/2-inch muffin cups.
BAKE 21 to 24 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.
MEANWHILE, beat sugar, cream cheese, butter and juice with electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Frost cupcakes.

Filed Under: cupcakes, Recipe of the Week

Spring Cleaning: The Living Room & Den, Part 1

April 11, 2008 Leave a Comment

When I think of spring cleaning, the living room/den area isn’t the first place that comes to my mind. I think this is because we typically don’t store things that get cluttered and need organizing in this room. And speaking for myself, I do a little bit of cleaning every day in the living room, sort of a “clean as you go” plan. Also, I think sometimes everyday-clutter has a tendency to just be natural to us. (like kid’s toys)
But I think that since we spend so much time in this room, (particularly our leisure time), we should make a special effort to keep it as clean as possible (while still maintaining a comfortable & relaxing atmosphere). So I got to thinking about some different ways to approach spring cleaning in the living area.

-Cleaning Carpets & Upholstery: Run the vacuum over your carpets and furniture upholstery. Use the hose and an attachment to get in between and behind cushions. If the cushions can be removed, take them off the couch and vacuum the bottom side of the cushions as well as the entire area underneath the cushions. If applicable, consider flipping the cushions over before placing them back on the couch. Take cushions outside for a while to let them air out, or sprinkle baking soda or fabric refresher on cushions before vacuuming to eliminate odors. To eliminate odors on carpets, sprinkle baking soda and leave it overnight. Then vacuum the next day.

-Afghans & throw pillows – If cleaning instructions allow, place these in the washing machine. Or take them to be professionally cleaned. Place throws and pillows that you do not plan to use again till next winter in a vacuum storage bag or other water-proof, moisture-proof container and store them in a closet, under a bed, or in the attic. -Buy or Rent a carpet cleaning machine: Once or twice a year my dad shampoos his carpets with a professional carpet cleaning machine. If you can’t afford one of these, you can rent one to use. They work extremely well, and you won’t believe how much dirt they keep up. And your carpets will look great. You also hire someone to professionally clean your carpets, but it’s much more cost efficient to do it yourself.

Related Articles:
Indoor Air Quality Articles
Eliminating Odors

Filed Under: cleaning, Home/Garden

Spring Cleaning Must-Dos

April 9, 2008 2 Comments

Some of us don’t have the time (or the energy) to thoroughly clean up during the spring cleaning season, but the truth is that a lot of clutter can get built up over the cold winter months, and even if you don’t have the time to turn your house upside down this spring, you can do a lot of good by simply concentrating on a couple of problem areas. Here are a few suggestions that I consider to be must-dos for everyone’s spring cleaning to-do list:

Pantry/fridge – Empty your fridge/pantry. Go through all your food, throw out items that are out of date & any items that you know will never be eaten. Wipe down shelves, drawers, and other food storage areas. Then restock and organize.

Medicine Cabinet – Clean out your medicine cabinet. De-clutter by getting rid of expired medications. Clean the shelves and any storage compartments. Rearrange your medicine cabinet to make items more accessible and easy to find.

Closet – Clean out your closet. Get rid of clothes that do not fit, or are torn, items you haven’t worn in over a year, and anything else that you know you won’t wear. Arrange your closet so that like items are together. Move winter coats, dresses, and other items to an extra closet if you have one, or store them in totes or “vacuum” storage bags on a shelf or under your bed. I did a post last fall on storing summer clothes for this winter. This can also be applied in the spring: Storing Clothes.

Bathroom – True, you should clean your bathroom on a regular basis anyway, but when was the last time that you cleaned it thorughly? If you do nothing else for spring cleaning, you should give your bathroom a good cleaning. Scrub your sink, shower, tub, and toilet till they shine. Take down your shower curtain and wash it in the washing machine or replace it with a new one if needed. Do the same with bathroom rugs.

These are just a few spring cleaning projects that you can do to improve your home, even if you have very little time on your hands. And if these areas aren’t a problem for you, then find another problem area of your home and tackle it this spring. A little goes a long way.

Filed Under: cleaning, Home/Garden, organizing

Menu Plan Monday for April 7

April 6, 2008 3 Comments

Hey everyone. Hope you all had a good weekend. I’m feeling a little more inspired this week than last week, and I’ve got a new recipe from Campbells, which I’ve included in this post for you. Happy Monday!

Monday – Hot dogs, chips, potato salad
Tuesday – Chicken & Stuffing Skillet (recipe below)
Wednesday – Meat loaf w/ mashed potatoes & peas
Thursday – Tator Tot Casserole (& any leftovers from TW)
Friday – Going out for hubby’s birthday
Saturday – Grilled Chicken stuffed potatoes
Sunday – Pizza

Recipe for Chicken & Stuffing Skillet
from Campbell’s Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. butter OR margarine
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 box (6 oz.) Pepperidge Farm® One Step Stuffing Chicken Mix
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup OR Campbell’s® Condensed 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
HEAT butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 12 to 15 min. or until no longer pink. Remove chicken.

PREPARE stuffing in skillet according to package directions except let stand 2 min.

RETURN chicken to skillet. Mix soup and milk. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and heat through.

Serves 4.

TIP: Serve with steamed broccoli and sliced tomatoes in vinaigrette. Celebrate the holiday season with an extra-special dessert of a fresh fruit salad–cubed red apples, pineapple chunks and green grapes-and a Pepperidge Farm® Distinctive Cookie Collection.

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, menu plan Monday, recipes

Recipe of the Week: Pizza Melts

April 5, 2008 3 Comments

I was searching for some appetizers to make for lunch when I ran across this recipe for Pizza Melts from Pillsbury. Since I haven’t posted a recipe of the week, I decided to share this one with you. If you like pizza, then this would be a good quick meal for you. It would also make a great party appetizer and the perfect after school snack. Follow the recipe or mix it up by adding your favorite pizza toppings, and enjoy!

2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/4 cup pizza sauce or 3 tablespoons tomato paste with basil, garlic and oregano
1 package (3.5 oz) sliced pepperoni
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 cup pizza sauce, if desired

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease cookie sheet. On cookie sheet, unroll 1 can of dough into 1 large rectangle. With floured rolling pin or fingers, roll or press dough into 12×9-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal.

2. Spread 1/4 cup pizza sauce over dough to within 1/4 inch of edges. Top with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese.

3. On 14-inch length of parchment paper, unroll remaining can of dough. Press to make 12×9-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. While holding paper with dough, turn dough upside down to cover cheese. Remove paper. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and oregano.

4. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand on cooling rack 5 to 10 minutes. Move to cutting board. Using pizza cutter, cut into 16 squares. Cut each square in half diagonally. Serve with 1 cup pizza sauce.

Filed Under: appetizers and snacks, casseroles and quick meals, Recipe of the Week
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