Hacking Through Housewifery

Custom Vibrations

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 11:56:10 -0500

It’s not what you’re thinking.

At one time or another, we have had to put our iPhones on vibrate. At said time, coincidentally, the phone vibrates, but we can’t look to see who’s calling. Who was that?!

Luckily, Apple has given us the ability to create custom vibration patterns and to assign these patterns to our contacts. (There are also vibration patterns pre-loaded on our phones, if you would rather use those.) It’s not a bad idea to assign vibration patterns to important people, that way you know who is trying to get in touch with you, even if you can’t look at your phone.

If you are running iOS 5 or iOS 6 on your iPhone, you can create a custom vibration. Here’s how:

1. Go to your Contacts and open.

2. Click on edit, top right.

3. Vibration is set to default; let’s change that. Click on Vibration.

4. It is showing you that Example Contact is set to the default vibration “Shave & A Haircut.” Under the Default is a list of the Standard, pre-loaded vibration patterns. You can choose one if these, or create your own. Lets make our own pattern.

5. Scroll down and select Create New Vibration.

6. Tap out a funky rhythm on the screen.

7. The longer you hold your finger on the screen, the longer the vibration. Quick taps will create short vibrations. When done, you can play it back to review.

8. Name your new vibration pattern and select.

When everything is satisfactory, click Done on the top right to save the changes you made to your contact. And there you have it.

Happy 2013!

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 02:01:03 -0500

Happy 2013!

Turkey Anytime Turkey

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 02:08:00 -0400

Forget the labor-intensive, time-consuming, oven-heating-the-kitchen-so-hot-you-feel-like-bursting-into-flames turkey. This turkey right here is so easy, you can make it mid-week. Seriously. And it’s delicious. AND you make it in your crock pot.

Here’s the long list of ingredients:

•Turkey breast, 3-9 pounds

•One packet of onion soup mix

•1/2-1 cup of water, white wine, or chicken broth (some say you don’t even need this ingredient, but it doesn’t hurt)

Can you handle that? Of course, you can. You could get fancier with the ingredients, but that includes more time. Who has that?

Directions:

•If using liquid, put it in the bottom of your crock pot

•Rinse turkey and pat dry with paper towels

•Cover turkey with onion soup mix and rub into skin and under the skin

•Place turkey in crock pot

•Cook on low for 6-9 hours, to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit

That’s it.

So that’s the basics of crock pot turkey.

Here’s what I did:

•I used liquid: ½ cup broth and the gravy packet that came with my turkey (Butterball)

•I coated my 3 pound turkey in onion soup mix and put the remainder of the packet of soup mix into the crock pot

•My turkey was frozen when I put it in the crock pot, and I cooked it for 7 1/2 hours total, 2 hours on high, 5 1/2 on low

•COOK TO AN INTERNAL TEMPERATURE OF 165 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT

There you have it. Go get yourself a turkey breast, some steam-in-the-bag microwave veggies, instant mashed potatoes (gravy from the turkey in your crock pot), and heat-and-serve rolls, and you’ve got a quick, satisfying little spread. Enjoy!

Putting together a big pot of chili…

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 13:25:42 -0400

Putting together a big pot of chili…

Making a pot roast for us to eat on this cold, soggy day.

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:41:09 -0400

Making a pot roast for us to eat on this cold, soggy day.

heyfunniest: THIS BLOG. THIS!

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 10:51:29 -0400

heyfunniest:

THIS BLOG. THIS!

Spicy Honey Chicken Salad The combination of flavors in this...

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:35:26 -0400

Spicy Honey Chicken Salad

The combination of flavors in this salad is amazing. It’s fresh and tasty with a little kick to your taste buds. The spice is relatively mild, as the mango and avocado help to tame it down. And as a note, we used chicken breasts. We ate this salad several times in one week. I can’t say enough good things about it, so I won’t even try. If you’re looking for a great salad, give this one a go. Now.

This recipe is from the gals at www.ourbestbites.com. Visit their site for tons of cooking inspiration and ideas.

Here’s their recipe:

•The Salad Part

1-2 heads Romaine or Red Leaf Lettuce
2 ripe but firm mangoes, chilled
2-3 ripe but firm avocados
optional: thinly sliced red onions

•The Spicy Honey Chicken Part

Ingredients:
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2lbs
2 t vegetable oil

Rub
2 t granulated garlic
2 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t coriander
1 t kosher salt
1 t cumin
1/2 t chipotle chili powder

Glaze
1/2 C Honey
1T Cider Vinegar

Instructions:
Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well. Use kitchen shears (or a pair of clean scissors) to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well. Use your hands and get in there! Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it’s not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2T honey glaze for later. Take the rest and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.

I’m gonna warn you that this can make a hot mess, literally. It’s sugar, and it’s gonna drip. But the smelly smoke is worth it for a minute or two. Just leave your grill on for a few minutes after the chicken is done to burn off any excess glaze. It’s totally worth it once you taste this stuff.

If you don’t have a bbq, try it on an indoor grill pan or use your broiler. Just be sure to open a window in case you burn your glaze!

Remember how I had you reserve that extra couple tablespoons of glaze? Ya, drizzle that on top now. Your taste buds will thank you.

•The Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette Part

1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 T grated onion
1/3 C fresh orange juice
3T fresh lime juice
2T honey
3/4 t cumin
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1/2 C vegetable oil

Place all ingredients in a tightly sealed jar and shake your bootie (and the jar) vigorously. Store in the fridge, and shake before dressing salad.

This serves 4 large salads or 6 smaller sized ones.

I felt like we were wasting too much food. I know. Horrible....

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 20:23:56 -0400

I felt like we were wasting too much food. I know. Horrible. During the chaos that is our day (and night, for that matter), we forget what is in the fridge. Containers get pushed around and shoved to the back. Then it becomes an out-of-site out-of-mind thing. One would think, “If your life is so chaotic, wouldn’t leftovers make it that much easier?” Yes. Yes it would. And so I put a dry erase board on the front of our fridge so we KNOW what is in there. It’s such a simple solution. No more excuses. No more waste.

Grilled Cheese Pizza Sandwich If you can make a grilled cheese...

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 01:33:16 -0400

Grilled Cheese Pizza Sandwich

If you can make a grilled cheese sandwich, then you can make this. And you should. It’s an easy spin on the classic. The pictures are pretty self explanatory, but directions are included if needed.

Ingredients
•Sliced Bread
•Pizza Sauce
•Shredded Mozzarella
•Pepperoni or Mini Pepperoni
•Butter
•Garlic powder or granulated garlic

Directions
Spread pizza sauce on both slices of bread.

Sprinkle both slices with mozzarella cheese. Make as cheesy as you like.

Top with desired amount of pepperoni.

Put sandwich together.

Spread butter on the outside of the sandwich, both sides.

Sprinkle with garlic powder or granulated garlic.

Heat a pan on medium high heat.

Place sandwich in pan when it is heated.

Flip when the bottom is golden.

When other side is golden, remove from pan and ENJOY!

FrogTape®

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 20:31:58 -0400

FrogTape®:

After painting two houses, I have decided that Frog Tape is so much better than the blue painter’s tape (from 3M, I think). The paint did not seep underneath, leaving me with clean lines. Love it. Next time you have to paint, maybe give Frog Tape a try and see if it works better for you.

I found Frog Tape at Lowes. I’m sure they have it at many places.

Take the link to Frog Tape’s website for more info.

(I do not work for, nor am I paid in any way from, Frog Tape.)

Berry Cobbler

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 23:30:59 -0400

Berry Cobbler:

Berry Cobbler

This recipe takes a ton of prowess in the kitchen *rolls eyes*. If you can open boxes, bags, and a can of soda, and dump all of the ingredients together, then you can make this cobbler. Easy. Fool proof. Yes, even you can do it. Make it tonight and impress somebody, even if it is only yourself.

The rundown: First, you have to spray a pan with veggie oil. Then, you have to cut open a couple of bags of frozen berries and dump it in sprayed pan. After that, open a box of white or vanilla cake mix and pour it on top of your fruit. Here’s where it gets complex: slowly pour a can of Sprite (or the like) all over. Do not mix. (By the way, the recipe calls for diet soda. Diet schmiet. I used regular. I also used vanilla cake mix instead of white.) Now, put your pan in a 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes. When done, scoop out some cobbler onto a plate or bowl. Serve with ice cream, if you want.

You can handle that, right? Right! Try it out. Everyone here loved it. You will, too. :)

I’ll copy/paste instructions below. Click on the link for excellent step by step photos.

Berry Cobbler
Source, SRKAUTZ

Ingredients
Two 12-oz bags frozen mixed berries
1 box white cake mix (no pudding)
1 can of diet 7-up or sierra mist (clear soda)

Instructions
Place frozen fruit in a 9x13 baking dish. Add dry cake mix over the top. Pour soda slowly over cake mix. DO NOT stir the cake mix and the pop - this will give you a ‘crust’. If you stir the two, you will have a cake like topping.

Bake 350 for 45-50 min

Alfredo Sauce

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:33:28 -0400

This is my favorite alfredo sauce recipe. I can’t remember where I got it from, though. Feel free to adjust the garlic amount, as I use more than what the recipe calls for. And when I don’t have fresh parsley, I’ve used dried with good results. I think the general rule for substituting dried herbs is 3:1 fresh:dry, or 1/3 the amount when using dried. Ok. Enough math. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients
½ cup butter
2 cups heavy cream
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 cups of grated parmesan cheese
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions
Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, whisking the entire time. Add garlic. While whisking quickly, add the cheese slowly. After everything is melted and heated through, you can give your hand a rest. Just stir in parsley and serve over fettucini noodles. I also like to have chicken strips and broccoli available if diners want to add that to their dish. Enjoy!

Photo

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 03:40:20 -0400

You Say Pozole, I Say Posole Actually, I don’t think it...

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 10:41:00 -0400

You Say Pozole, I Say Posole Actually, I don’t think it matters how it’s spelled, it’s pronounced similarly: po-ZO-lay or po-SO-lay (po and zo and so sound like dough). But who has time for all of this pronunciation nonsense when there is soup to be shoveled into your mouths. I think this is a very pretty soup, once you get all the condiments in. That’s the fun and best part. Adding the condiments to your own bowl really personalizes it to your taste. Don’t like onions? Don’t add it. Love limes? Squeeze in several wedges. It’s YOUR bowl of soup. Go crazy! Before all that fun could be had, though, make the soup. I found a 2.5 pound bag of frozen chicken breasts that I used. I didn’t even defrost it first. I just heated some oil, put a couple of breasts in at a time, put the lid on, and let it cook, flipping occasionally (the chicken; I am hardly acrobatic). Oh, and use a pot. The directions say to use a deep skillet. I don’t know. To me, that’s a pot, especially if you’re making soup. Anyways, once the chicken was cooked, it was still an ugly grayish color, so I removed the lid and let the chicken brown. Then, I repeated the process until all of the breasts were cooked, then shredded the chicken. The ingredients list shows vegetable oil and the directions say canola oil. I used vegetable. It also says to serve one tostada per bowl. BS! Have as many as you like. I had a stack of tostadas out with the condiments and we would freely grab another tostada if we wanted. That’s how I’ve always eaten posole. Besides, once you eat all of the goodies in your soup and you still have broth left, you can add more condiments and/or dip your tostada and continue eating. It has the potential to be the never-ending bowl of soup.

Here’s the list of condiments:

Radishes, sliced

Cabbage, shredded (I used purple)

Onion, chopped

Cilantro, chopped

Lime wedges

Here’s the recipe (from allrecipes.com):

Easy Chicken Posole

10 Servings Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 2 Hours 10 Minutes

Ingredients

2 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 ½ quarts chicken broth

3 cups water

1 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste

3 cups white hominy, rinsed and drained

10 tostada shells

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts, and cook until no longer pink and juices run clear, about 20 minutes. Remove from skillet, drain, and cool. When completely cooled, shred chicken with a fork. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic until soft and transparent, about 5 minutes. Return shredded chicken to the skillet. Stir in the chicken broth, water, oregano, salt, and chili powder. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook about 90 minutes. Stir in the hominy and cook until tender, about 15 minutes more. Taste to adjust seasonings, adding more salt and chili powder, if desired. Serve in soup bowls with 1 tostada shell per serving. Garnish as desired.

Photo

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:27:52 -0400

How to Clean Your Child's Booster Chair

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 07:28:46 -0400

One day, I read an article that had to do with things you didn’t know you could do with a dishwasher. Listed were things like making bagels, cooking salmon, washing your vacuum parts, and, more practically, washing your child’s booster chair. I have one of those convertable high chair/booster chair contraptions, which had gotten pretty messy *hangs head in shame*. I…er…I mean, my husband removed the top dishwasher rack and in went the chair. I used dishwasher soap, but left the heated dry setting off, pressed start, and let the dishwasher work its magic. What emerged was a sparkling clean chair. Even the straps got clean! I’m very happy I tried this suggestion, though I don’t think I’ll be putting my salmon in the dishwasher.

oldads: Philco - 19540528 Collier’s on Flickr.Website | Flickr...

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 01:37:16 -0400

oldads:

Philco - 19540528 Collier’s on Flickr.

Website | Flickr | Tumblr | Twitter

Hot Lemonade to Soothe Throat

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:52:44 -0400

This is helping to soothe my throat:

2 tbsp lemon juice (approx ½ of a lemon)
2 tbsp honey
Several dashes of cayenne pepper
Hot water

Add first three ingredients to a coffe cup, then add hot water. Mix and drink.

I’m losing my voice and my husband will soon be thrilled.

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 22:04:51 -0400

I’m losing my voice and my husband will soon be thrilled.

Our glazed donuts. My husband attacked two of them before the...

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 02:10:28 -0500

Our glazed donuts. My husband attacked two of them before the glaze even set. Haha!