Pumpkins are everywhere this Halloween season. They decorate our homes and porches and they fill our pies and cakes. A friend of mine recently shared this Pumpkin Cake recipe that's absolutely delish! Easy to make! Easy to eat!
Pumpkin Cake
4 eggs
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of vegetable oil
2 cups of flour
2 tsp. of baking soda
2 tsp. of cinnamon
1 tsp. of baking powder
1 tsp. of salt
1 small can of pumpkin
Mix ingredients together and pour into greased cake pan or jelly roll pan. (The jelly pans makes a lot more) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. It'll likely take a bit longer if you use the cake pan.
Icing
1 stick of butter or margarine
1 tsp. of vanilla
1 8 oz. of cream cheese
1 lb. of powdered sugar
Mix together with a mixer until smooth.
Hey! I never said they were healthy. Enjoy.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Where's My Money Going????
Your not a big spender but, once all the bills are paid, your checking account is nearly empty. Do you ever wonder where all that money is going? According to MSN Money (where I got this article) it's surprisingly easy to blow thousands, a few dollars at a time.
MSN Money says here are the "10 little expenses that add up fast."
1. Coffee. According to the National Coffee Assocation, the average price for a cup of brewed coffee is 1.38 ($4 for a latte). There are rougly 260 weekdays per year, so buying one coffee every weekday morning costs $360 per year.
2. Cigarettes. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids reports that the average price for a pack of smokes in the US is $4.54. Pack-a-day smokers fork out $1,650 a year.
3. Alcohol. Drink prices vary depending on location. But assuming an average $5 per beer including tip, buying two beers per day adds up to $3650 per year.
4. Bottled Water from Convenience Stores. A 20-ounce bottle of Aquafina bottled water cost about $1.
5. Manicures. The Day Spa Magazine Price Survey of 2004 found that the average cost of a manicure is $20.53. A weekly manicure sets you back about $1,068 per year.
6. Car Washes. The average cost for a basic auto detailing package is $58, according to Costhelper.com. The tab for getting your car detailed every two months: $348 pewr year.
7. Weekday lunches out: $9 will generally cover a decent lunch most workdays. If you buy, rather than pack, a lunch five days a week for one year, you shellp out $2340, a year.
8. Vending machine snacks: The average vending machine snack costs $1. Buy a pack of cookies every afternoon at work and pay $260 per year.
9. Interest charges on credit card bills.
10. Unused gym memberships. Costhelper.com reports that the monthly service fee at gyms average between $35 and $40. At $40 per month, an unused gym membership runs $480 a year.
Published October 11, 2007, MSN MOney
Have a smart day.
MSN Money says here are the "10 little expenses that add up fast."
1. Coffee. According to the National Coffee Assocation, the average price for a cup of brewed coffee is 1.38 ($4 for a latte). There are rougly 260 weekdays per year, so buying one coffee every weekday morning costs $360 per year.
2. Cigarettes. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids reports that the average price for a pack of smokes in the US is $4.54. Pack-a-day smokers fork out $1,650 a year.
3. Alcohol. Drink prices vary depending on location. But assuming an average $5 per beer including tip, buying two beers per day adds up to $3650 per year.
4. Bottled Water from Convenience Stores. A 20-ounce bottle of Aquafina bottled water cost about $1.
5. Manicures. The Day Spa Magazine Price Survey of 2004 found that the average cost of a manicure is $20.53. A weekly manicure sets you back about $1,068 per year.
6. Car Washes. The average cost for a basic auto detailing package is $58, according to Costhelper.com. The tab for getting your car detailed every two months: $348 pewr year.
7. Weekday lunches out: $9 will generally cover a decent lunch most workdays. If you buy, rather than pack, a lunch five days a week for one year, you shellp out $2340, a year.
8. Vending machine snacks: The average vending machine snack costs $1. Buy a pack of cookies every afternoon at work and pay $260 per year.
9. Interest charges on credit card bills.
10. Unused gym memberships. Costhelper.com reports that the monthly service fee at gyms average between $35 and $40. At $40 per month, an unused gym membership runs $480 a year.
Published October 11, 2007, MSN MOney
Have a smart day.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Let's Make Some Smores!
So ... my husband caved. I got my fire pit.
Here's a little back story. About a month ago, I told Bruce that I really wanted a fire pit. The kids love making smores and I love to sit around the fire with family and friends on a cool, fall night. They're only about 50 bucks so it was no big deal, right? NOT! Bruce got on a high horse "challenging" me not to buy a fire pit. WHAT?! His argument ... (besides our Visa bill being huge) was that I constantly impulse shop. He says I always say "I need this and I need that," and I don't stop until I get what I want. (What woman doesn't?)
Still, it's a fifty dollar fire pit. Come on! Well, I didn't buy one and this argument went on for about a month. I'm still not really sure what changed his mind. But I returned from out of town this weekend to find a new fire pit sitting on our patio out back. It was a surprise from him and the kids.
HMMM ... why the change of heart? It may have been that he was on a camping trip this weekend and realized that he, too, enjoyed sitting around the fire. Guilt may have been a bigger factor. After the topic came up on the camping trip, my neighbor, Tim, apparently told Bruce ... "Oh, just go buy your wife a fire pit!!!"
He did. HMMM .. Maybe the next time I "need" that really expensive item, I should consult Tim to do my negotiating.
I'll let you know how the smores come out.
Have a great day!
Here's a little back story. About a month ago, I told Bruce that I really wanted a fire pit. The kids love making smores and I love to sit around the fire with family and friends on a cool, fall night. They're only about 50 bucks so it was no big deal, right? NOT! Bruce got on a high horse "challenging" me not to buy a fire pit. WHAT?! His argument ... (besides our Visa bill being huge) was that I constantly impulse shop. He says I always say "I need this and I need that," and I don't stop until I get what I want. (What woman doesn't?)
Still, it's a fifty dollar fire pit. Come on! Well, I didn't buy one and this argument went on for about a month. I'm still not really sure what changed his mind. But I returned from out of town this weekend to find a new fire pit sitting on our patio out back. It was a surprise from him and the kids.
HMMM ... why the change of heart? It may have been that he was on a camping trip this weekend and realized that he, too, enjoyed sitting around the fire. Guilt may have been a bigger factor. After the topic came up on the camping trip, my neighbor, Tim, apparently told Bruce ... "Oh, just go buy your wife a fire pit!!!"
He did. HMMM .. Maybe the next time I "need" that really expensive item, I should consult Tim to do my negotiating.
I'll let you know how the smores come out.
Have a great day!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Stinky washer. Stinky clothes.
UGH! I did it again. I forgot my load of towels in the washing machine .. for two days. Now they (and the washing machine) stink. Am I the only one who does this? If not, I found a tip for making that little annoyance go away. According to an article in my Redbook magazine, you can get the smell out. Here's how;
Rewash the towels on the longest setting and at the hottest possible temperature using your regular detergent plus a detergent booster, like OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover (oxiclean.com). At the rinse cycle, Redbook says you can add 1 oz. of white distilled vinegar to attack the mold and mildew, without harming the fabric.
Then, throw the towels into the dryer with a fabric softener sheet and dry them completely - or the smell will come back the next time they get a little damp.
If you're washing machine still has a funky smell (YES, IT DOES!), run an empty cycle on the hotwater setting and add a 3/4 cup of chlorine beach to disinfect the washer and kill any leftover bacteria.
(Redbook cites it's source of information as Steve Boorstein, author of The Clothing Doctor's 99 Secrets to Cleaning and Clothing Care.)
Have a happy day!
Rewash the towels on the longest setting and at the hottest possible temperature using your regular detergent plus a detergent booster, like OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover (oxiclean.com). At the rinse cycle, Redbook says you can add 1 oz. of white distilled vinegar to attack the mold and mildew, without harming the fabric.
Then, throw the towels into the dryer with a fabric softener sheet and dry them completely - or the smell will come back the next time they get a little damp.
If you're washing machine still has a funky smell (YES, IT DOES!), run an empty cycle on the hotwater setting and add a 3/4 cup of chlorine beach to disinfect the washer and kill any leftover bacteria.
(Redbook cites it's source of information as Steve Boorstein, author of The Clothing Doctor's 99 Secrets to Cleaning and Clothing Care.)
Have a happy day!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Fall Season = Jean Season
Cooler temperatures are now upon us, thank goodness. Over the past 48 hours, we've gone from a high in the 80's to a high in the 50's. It's all good. Aren't you in the mood for a little Fall weather? I am. Keep in mind, though, that once we pull those sweaters out of the closet, we also have to pull those jeans out of storage. Yep, it's time for us to squeeze back into those pants we've been able to avoid all summer. What's the problem? It's just that wearing jeans is the TRUE test when you want to know if you've gained a little here and there since the last time you put them on. I think I came up with the perfect solution for me. Last week, I went jean shopping and decided I needed two pairs of jeans. They are the exact same style but different sizes. There's one for those skinny days and one for the .. well, the other days. Ladies, you know what I'm talking about. Two pairs of the exact color and style of jeans .. different sizes. It makes perfect sense.
"You're either in or you're in the way." - Several friends love to repeat this quote. I don't know where it originally came from but I like what is says.
Have a great day!
"You're either in or you're in the way." - Several friends love to repeat this quote. I don't know where it originally came from but I like what is says.
Have a great day!
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Women Falling Down
Women Falling Down ... Again this has nothing to do with my trip to Vegas. :)
"Women Falling Down" is the latest funny video I discovered on YouTube. Okay, I'm addicted (just a little) to humorous videos on the video-sharing site. Someone sends them to me and I send them along to friends and we all laugh. Well, I found another one and I want to share it with you. I may have a warped sense of humor, but I find this kind of stuff hysterical. It gets me every time. Hee, hee. I get a good belly laugh and I hope you get one, too.
If you want to laugh, click on the site below or go to youtube and type in the key words "Women Falling Down."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr8h_7ONK24
Enjoy. Have a great day.
"Women Falling Down" is the latest funny video I discovered on YouTube. Okay, I'm addicted (just a little) to humorous videos on the video-sharing site. Someone sends them to me and I send them along to friends and we all laugh. Well, I found another one and I want to share it with you. I may have a warped sense of humor, but I find this kind of stuff hysterical. It gets me every time. Hee, hee. I get a good belly laugh and I hope you get one, too.
If you want to laugh, click on the site below or go to youtube and type in the key words "Women Falling Down."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr8h_7ONK24
Enjoy. Have a great day.
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