Loving Our Home | Home Tips, Advice, and Easy Recipes

Simple Home Tips and Solutions

3 Barbecue Grilling Must-Haves

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When spring is approaching, and 70 or 80 degree weather starts to become the norm, it triggers my desire to bring the barbecue grill out.   I don’t like using propane, so instead I use charcoal and sometimes I even use lava rocks.  What I do not enjoy is having to clean the grill after every use.  I also become frustrated when I overcook  or under cook certain meats.  That has been extremely costly in the past.  I found a few products that help rectify these issues, and they’re pretty affordable too.

BBQ Grill & Baking Mats

My first amazing find was an “As Seen on TV” product called a grill mat. It will help save me from spending countless hours in the backyard cleaning my grill grates.  They’re non-stick plates that go on top of your grill and create an easy to clean cooking surface. It’s advertised as free from harmful chemicals like PFOA. I like how it can be used indoors as well.

Barbecue Meat Thermometer

This barbecue meat thermometer solves the problem of under or overcooked meats on your barbecue grill. Use it to prepare your meats to the precise temperature you want every time.  Just stick it in your steak or burger and go on enjoying your family and the outdoors.  There’s a clear digital reading that tells you exactly when the meat is cooked to your desired temperature — you don’t have to cut the meat to check if its ready. There’s also an auto-off feature that saves energy.

Charcoal Lighter (No More Lighter Fluid)

I have always used lighter fluid in the past to light my charcoals.  The down side is that at times I have over doused the charcoal and no matter what I cooked it always tasted a bit like that fuel.  Not any more, thanks to this Rapidfire Chimney Starter. With this product I can safely and accurately light my charcoals in the canister and have an even distribution of heat throughout the grill.  Awesome!

If you’re gearing up for outdoor BBQ grilling this spring or summer, check out these three barbecue must-haves. They will allow you to enjoy your family more as well as better tasting food from the grill.

Posted by Lorraine

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies with Stevia

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One of my favorite desserts to enjoy after a long day is a chewy homemade chocolate chip cookie.  Yet, as I get older I find myself wanting to lessen the amount of refined white sugar that I consume in my homemade baking products.  I have been told that you can use a natural sugar substitute, but I was Stevia in the Rawconcerned about how it might change the taste of my cookies.  I finally decided to give it a try anyway using Stevia. It’s a sugar alternative that is surprisingly affordable.  I was pleasantly surprised at how lightweight the package was in comparison to the weight of white refined sugar.

When I returned home, I was anxious to start baking with Stevia. The results were great — I was amazed that when I used the Stevia in the recipe it did not change the taste, texture or awesomeness of my cookie! Here is the recipe I used:

Ingredients

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies with Stevia2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Semi- Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Cup Stevia Sugar in the Raw
1 Stick of Butter (melted or softened at room temperature)
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Instructions

In a large bowl add:
Butter
Stevia Sugar
Egg
Vanilla
Mix well with a large spoon and set aside

In a medium bowl add:
Flour
Baking Powder
Salt
Mix well

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix
Add chocolate chips

Cookie dough should form into a ball.
Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
Preheat oven 350*
Remove dough from refrigerator and use a ice cream scoop to place dough onto non-stick cookie sheet
Bake for 10-13 minutes

Enjoy your homemade chocolate chip cookies made with Stevia!

Posted by Eve

3 Simple Ideas to Spruce Up Your Living Room

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Every spring I like to spruce up my home by adding pops of color and new furniture that has sleek and useful designs. Just adding a new lamp, chair or table can completely change the look of your room. Here are a few key pieces that I believe will add class and style to any living room’s decor.

Cappuccino Round Accent TableCappuccino Table

I love the modern design of this cappuccino table.  It will fit in perfectly in a living room where you already have plenty of furniture.  It provides an extra table to place your laptop, iPad, coffee cup or book during hours of leisure.  You can even place the table in an open corner and adorn it with a lovely bouquet of flowers.

Cylinder Shaped Lamp

Cylinder LampI really like the cylinder shape of this lamp because it is small enough to fit into any corner.  It is tall and sleek.  You can even add colored bulbs for a more interesting night time effect in your living room.  It’s affordable enough to purchase two or three to position around your room.

Yellow Zig Zag (Charlie Brown) Throw Pillows

Yellow Zig Zag PillowsIf you need a pop of color in your living room, try these yellow throw pillows. They’re designed with an attractive zig zag pattern that looks similar to Charlie Brown’s shirt! Yellow is the color of happiness, so if you want to brighten up the atmosphere these are a good choice.  You can even transition the pillows to your outdoor patio furniture and with the UV protection on the fabric, you don’t have to worry about the fabric fading.
Consider these simple ideas to spruce up your living room. The goal is to have a place where you can feel relaxed and joyful, and have everything at your fingertips.

Easy Bake Chicken Dinner Recipe for Two

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This easy bake chicken dinner recipe is super easy to make.  

Like many people, my schedule is quite hectic.  I don’t like the idea of resorting to fast food for dinner. So I sat down one day and wrote down a list of quick and easy recipes that are healthier than fast food but yet very easy to prepare. This chicken dinner’s ingredients are basic (you probably already have them in your fridge or cabinets) and the preparation is simple. Just add the vegetables and chicken parts that you like best (we like drumsticks at our house), mix everything up with a spoon or your fingers, and bake.

Ingredients

4 Chicken Drumsticks, Thighs or Wings
1 Large Potato
5-7 Baby Carrots (or chopped if you prefer)
1 Stalk Of Celery
1/2 Teaspoon Of Onion Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Of Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Of Salt (to taste)
1/2 Cup Of Water

Instructions

Preheat oven 350*

Clean chicken to remove excess fat.
Peel and cut your vegetables.
Place chicken and vegetables in a Dutch oven or casserole dish that has a lid.
Sprinkle seasonings on top.

Add water.
Cover and cook 45 minutes with lid on.
For the last 15 minutes of cooking, remove lid to allow the skin to get crisp on top.

Chicken and Potatoes

* If you’d like you can also add a bit of citrus flavor to your chicken by squeezing in a bit of lemon.

Serve with a side of rice and/or salad. And there’s your Easy Bake Chicken Dinner for two — enjoy!

Posted by Eve

Photo credit: Flickr/sintages

 

 

Spring Cleaning Made Easy: 3 Must-Have Items

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I am also open to cleaning products that will make my spring cleaning much easier.  I found some cool new products that were affordable and will help me keep my home smelling good and clean.  For the first time, I am looking for eco-friendly products and cleaning products that would not require a lot of effort to complete the job.

Rotating Spin Twist Hurricane Spinning and Shout Mop

Rotating Spin Twist Hurricane SpinningWith each passing year, it seems more difficult to clean my floors on my hands and knees.  I am thankful that there are floor cleaning systems like this Rotating Spin Twist Mop that I can use, that don’t require me to clean like I’m living in the 1800s!  Instead of manually cleaning the mop with your hands, you just put it in the tub and press the pedal to spin away the dirty water and start again. This spinning mop will cut your spring cleaning time in half.

Slipper Genie Microfiber Cleaning Slippers

Slipper GenieI really like the idea of this micro fiber cleaning slipper.  When I just want to tidy up my bathroom floor in a hurry, I’ll put a few Lysol wipes on the floor and use my own slippers to clean the floor instead of bending over. It works like a charm. These Slipper Genie Cleaning Slippers pretty much have the same idea in mind. They’re also useful for corners that your broom or mop are unable to reach. They are machine washable and come in a variety of attractive colors.

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day All Purpose Cleaner, Lavender

Lavender CleanerThis lavender all-purpose cleaner is great for cleaning your entire house.  The scent of lavender has always been known to be a soothing scent — it fills your rooms and gives you a sense of peace during and after cleaning.  This product is eco-friendly and sold in a concentrated form.  Just add about a 1/4 cup to a gallon of warm water or a few capfuls to a water bottle. Amazon offers a better price if you purchase a set of two bottles — that should last you all season.
If you want your spring cleaning made easy this year, check out these three great products. They’re sure to make your cleaning experience quicker and more pleasant.

5 Ways Audiobooks Can Improve Your Life (and the World)

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As early as the 1920s, people were using seminars and books on tape to learn more and better themselves. Great minds of the 20th century like Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie and Earl Nightingale recorded their speeches and talks — they’ve been heard by millions of people since then. Millions of people have been helped by their timeless words.

Today books on tape have largely been replaced with audiobooks, like the ones offered at Audible. You can now play your book of choice on your cellphone, iPad, tablet or laptop. Audible also offers audiobooks for free to new users who have an Amazon account. Here are five reasons why I think this new technology is such a great tool for the 21st century. I believe modern audiobooks will help millions more people succeed and have better lives in this and future generations.

 

  1. Audiobooks help people who aren’t the best readers.

It’s estimated that approximately 32 million adults in the United States have trouble reading or never learned how. Audiobooks allow this group of people to absorb information and get motivation by simply listening to a speaking voice. It’s almost like sitting in a lecture hall listening to a professor teach (but at a very tiny fraction of the tuition cost of course).

 

  1. Audiobooks give your eyes a much-needed rest.

550501_96602627 (Small)In the course of an average day, how often are your eyes looking at a computer screen or straining to read small printed words? eBooks can be the most tiring on the eyes because of the bright light from your e-reader’s screen. Audiobooks give your eyes a break — instead of scanning a page, you can close your eyes and allow the message or story to enter your mind.

 

  1. Listening to an audiobook allows you to multitask.

One of my favorite things about audiobooks is that I can multitask while “reading.” Whenever it’s time to vacuum my home or go on a long drive, I have my Audible audiobook queued up and ready to go. Since it’s on my cellphone, I can just plug it into my car with an auxiliary cord and press play.

 

  1. Audiobooks are good for the environment.

As much as I love the feeling of having a physical book in my hand at times and turning the pages, I can’t deny how much printed books use up paper and ink resources. My office is full of books that I’ve read and probably will never read again. With an audiobook you can consume a book once if you want, then close it and it’s stored in digital memory. If you ever want to tidy up your “library” you can just delete old books from your accounts digital storage when you want. The more people who opt for online audiobooks, the less demand for paper, which will eventually lead to more trees saved each year. If you are passionate about the Green movement or need a new initiative for your group, encourage audiobooks as an alternative way to read.

 

  1. Audiobooks are a source of relaxation and inspiration.

There are some audiobooks that I love to play over and over again simply because of the narrator’s voice. The voice of an audiobook narrator can soothe you to sleep (for me, that’s Louise Hay and Rhonda Byrne) or inspire you to action (Les Brown and Earl Nightingale). You just sit or lay back, put your headphones on and enjoy. I like to listen to a good audiobook first thing when I get up in the morning — that way I start off the day with a positive or relaxed mindset.

 

These reasons and more are why I’m passionate about spreading the word about the benefits of reading audio books. I use Audible because they’re an Amazon company and I can login using my Amazon account. They also have a convenient app for my Android phone and gave me a free audiobook when I first signed up for the service.

 

If you have trouble reading books or finding the time and motivation to read, try an audiobook today. Reading a new online audio book each month can educate, entertain, motivate and inspire you to get to a better place in your life, as it has done for me.

 

Posted by Lynn

Lynn is a guest blogger on LOH and the author of a popular motivational audiobook for women entitled Why Doesn’t He Love Me?