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Simple Home Tips and Solutions

Tips for Turkey, Chicken or Ham Leftovers After the Holidays

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My family always has an abundance of leftovers after the holidays — especially leftover meat, like chicken, turkey and ham. I do not like to have uneaten food spoil, so I re-purpose the meats to make more meals for my family.

Chicken or Turkey Leftovers

If you have leftover chicken or turkey, strip the remaining meat and chop it into cubes. Put cubes into a large bowl. Add mayo, finely chopped celery, diced onion, salt and pepper to make a classic chicken or turkey salad. It’s so refreshing and delicious to eat at lunch while at work. You can enjoy the mixture on bread, crackers or in a salad.

The next tip is to turn the chicken or turkey bones into homemade soups — it requires very little effort. Just place the entire bone, dripping included, into a large pot and fill the pot half way with water. Now add the following items to the pot:

  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • chopped onion
  • chopped carrots
  • potato chunks
  • chopped celery
  • cooked egg noodles

Season the pot with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low heat for about 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are fully cooked. Remove the bone from the soup before serving. It tastes so good on a cold day!

Leftover Ham

My final tip is for leftover ham. I really enjoy ham that has the bone in. What you can do is remove the remaining ham from the bone and cut it into cubes. Use the cubes for salads, as a flavor enhancer for rice or beans, or as an addition to my morning omelet.

You can also use the bone of the ham to flavor a large pot of greens or strings beans. Just add some salt, pepper and your usual seasonings.

Enjoy these tips for turkey, chicken or ham leftovers after the holidays!!!

Posted by Eve

Tips for Decorating with Contact Paper

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If you want a new look in your home, try adding subtle pops of color to your home decor. If you don’t want the extra fuss of painting and all that goes with it, have you ever tried contact paper? Contact paper is easy to use and comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns. It’s as easy as peeling off the back and applying it wherever you want. Best of all, it’s not permanent. You can always just peel it off and try something new. Here are some fun and easy tips for decorating with contact paper.

41z1nfxabBL– In the living room, create one “faux wallpaper” accent wall with contact paper. Measure the wall’s length and width to ensure that you purchase enough contact paper.

– For the kitchen, apply contact paper to reface your kitchen cabinets. This is a quick and simple way to make your kitchen look more modern and colorful. Carefully use a box cutter to make straight cuts when removing excess paper.

– Add contact paper to the backsplash behind your sink in the bathroom to make it more appealing and colorful.

– In the bedroom use contact paper to give a pop of color to your night stands. Apply an attractive pattern to the top of each stand. Make sure to remove any dust so that the paper adheres properly.

Have fun decorating with contact paper this weekend!

Posted by Eve

Homemade Burritos

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I rather enjoy a good burrito from time to time. Yet, I don’t care for the preservatives that are added to the store bought and fast food burritos. So, I came up with a recipe for homemade burritos to satisfy my craving. It’s easy and a fun way to use ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.

Ingredients

1 Lb Lean Ground Beef
1 medium Onion finely diced
1 can Refried Beans
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Chili powder
1 teaspoon dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoons Cumin
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Flour
1 Jalapeño pepper finely diced ( optional )
1/4 cup Salsa ( mild or hot )
4 large Burrito wraps

Optional Condiments:

Sour cream
1 cup Lettuce (shredded)
1 large Tomato diced
1 cup Mexican shredded cheese

Directions

In a large skillet, on medium heat, add oil, onion, jalapeño and ground beef. Add the dry ingredients to skillet and mix well until meat is browned.

Add salsa, refried beans and blend together and cook for another 2 minutes on low heat. Meanwhile, warm the burrito wraps in the microwave (in a tortilla warmer if you have one) for approximately 30 seconds.

Place warm burrito on a large plate, spread about a 1/4 cup of meat and bean mixture in middle of burrito, add lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream.

Simply roll up your homemade burritos and enjoy!!

Posted by Eve

The Ache for Home… #HomeQuotes

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The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.

Maya Angelou

Tips for Mingling at a Holiday Party

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We all find it easy to talk to people we already know, but what about the ones you don’t. Here are a few tips for mingling at a holiday party that will help you have a pleasant conversation with a stranger.

First, enter the home with a smile, wipe your feet (shows courtesy) and openly state season greetings to all that can hear you. You should graciously bring the host a gift, showing appreciation for the invitation. When you are introduced, by the host, let’s say to the person’s brother, for the first time, say his name in every other sentence said. This helps you to remember his name.

When mingling at your holiday party, stick to light topics of discussion such as sports, kids, weather and such. Keep it simple. Leading in with a simple “it was a surprisingly a warm winter’s day wasn’t it?” gets the other person to respond and maybe inspire him to tell you a story related to the weather. Compliments are always good — you might also say ” your sister has a beautiful spirit.” That should get the conversation off to a good start.

Remember to not just talk about yourself. People can’t stand that and will quickly try to get away if you take it too far. Always avoid politics and religion at a holiday party with people you don’t know that well because you can easily insult or offend others when speaking of these topics.

Lastly, always remember to be polite and excuse yourself from another person’s presence. Don’t just walk away to refill your glass. When you excuse yourself you’ll feel more comfortable inviting yourself back into the conversation later.

If you follow these tips for mingling at a holiday party, you should have a pleasant conversation with a stranger who just might possibly become a friend.

Posted by Eve

Who Not to Invite to Your Holiday Party

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Most everyone’s heart is filled with joy during the holiday season. You may even be tempted to invite a family member, co-worker or friend who you don’t particularly get along with during the year to your home for a holiday party.

That’s all well and good, but there are certain people who you probably shouldn’t invite to your joyous occasion if you want it to be filled with joy. I have learned vital lessons about inviting certain people to holiday parties. Here are a few tips, on who I believe should never be invited to your holiday party.

Let’s begin with co-workers. We all have our workplace persona and our party persona. The two shouldn’t always mix! Co-workers are just that–people you work with. Always remember that they could take your personal life into work with gossip. Ask yourself if you would truly remain friends with them if you did not work with them anymore. If the answer is no, then don’t invite them to your party.

Secondly, I have learned never to invite the friends who turn into “angry” drunks after partaking in a few cocktails. These are the people who will eventually argue and fight with some of your other guests, which could require the police to be called to your residence and end the party.

Another person you should avoid inviting to your holiday party is the thief. If you know someone who has ever stolen from you or someone you know, now is not the time to reconnect with them. A holiday party is a perfect place for someone with sticky fingers to run wild, since people tend to pile their coats and purses in one place. You don’t want unnecessary drama to result from your gathering.

Here’s a simple rule of thumb: you should only invite those who care for you and love you throughout the year — not just during the holidays.

Happy New Year!!!

Posted by Eve