I'll be back tomorrow with pictures:)

Isn't she lovely...

How many of you spend waaaay too much time on craigslist? Well, I'm a craigslist fiend, almost to the point of going to craigslist anonymous. I've got a problem. I don't know who this Craig fella is, but what a great idear:) Well, anyway I found a bargain, it's a gorgeous dresser, and she's beautiful, dontcha think???



I love her and she only cost me $30! Yep, $30. and zero cents. She needs a little TLC and some polishin up...............



But, for $30.00 I'm willing to spruce her up............




I think with a little elbow grease, some apple green paint, and mahogany stain, she'll be the envy of the hood........

I'll be working on her for a while, and I'll be happy to share sneak peeks along the way

boiled, poached, over-easy, sunny side up..................

I love eggs! So, today, I thought I’d share some silly trivia, great facts, and some yummy egg recipes.
As I am preparing for the chicken coop in my future, I've learned alot of things about chickens and their special presents. Chickens are incredible little birds who work hard for the money. And those eggs are quite a versatile little food in it's own packaging.
So lets go, here’s a little useless information tossed with a great big helping of eggseptional tips. Sorry, that was sad. Let’s start with the birth of the egg, and how fitting since the egg actually represents new life. We will focus only on chicken eggs-but I’m sure most of this applies to any egg that you’re willing to stick in your beak.
Chickens lay eggs, and don’t need a roosters help unless you want baby chicks// The average hen lays 245 eggs per year// Most hens start laying when they are 4-5 months old and up through their teens// Egg colors are often determined by the colors of the hens lobes// In addition to white eggs, you may find brown, blue and even green eggs// How to find the boiled egg: spin it, if it spins and doesn’t wobble, it's a boiled egg.// Eggs are very good for you (in moderation)// Some say an eggs flavor can be affected by the chickens diet- I'm gonna give it a try;)// If you accidently drop an egg on the floor, sprinkle it heavily with salt for easy cleanup// There are approximately 2.5 million egg recipes in the world (I just made that up)

How to Boil an Egg

gently place your eggs in the saucepan/pot
cover eggs with cold water and bring to a boil
turn off the heat
put a lid on the pot
start timing your egg at this point:
Runny egg-- 2 1/2 minutes
Soft egg-- 3 minutes
Soft egg with no gooey middle-- 4 minutes
Hard-boiled egg-- 15 minutes
drain and put eggs in cold water
when cooled, peel and enjoy

When I was young my mama told me that there was only one real mayonnaise, everything else is nasty. So I’ve always used that mayo that begins with an ‘H’. And I discovered that making my own mayo was very similar in taste to the superior 'H' mayo. I love to use homemade mayo in chicken, ham, and egg salads, and deviled eggs. Homemade mayo is easy and fun to make. Try this, you may actually like it:

Homemade Mayonnaise
2 egg yolks at room temp
1 tsp mustard (yellow or dijon)
mix in food processor
add oil slowly 1 cup+ (vegetable or canola)
blend until thick- for thicker mayo add more oil a little at a time
then add
salt
pepper
herbs( add as much as you like. Parsley, dill, basil etc)
lemon juice - a fresh squeeze
whip it a couple of seconds
Refrigerate, and eat within a week- it's best when you make it as needed.




Eggsellent Deviled Eggs sorry again:)

1 dozen boiled eggs, chilled and peeled
carefully slice eggs in half lengthwise
scoop yolks into small bowl
arrange whites on platter, put in fridge

mash yolks with a fork and add
2 tsp. mustard
1/3 cup homemade mayo
2 tsp minced onion (Mince- to cut or chop into very small pieces)
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
3 tbsp. canned ham
1/2 tsp pickle juice
mix well

To make the deviled egg look purty, I prefer to fill the deviled egg using a cake decorating tip, or you can just scoop the yolk mixture into the egg whites. Sprinkle paprika over the top for good measure. These are quite yummy.

I encourage you to pull the eggs out of the fridge this week. Cheap, easy and quite good for you.

photos courtesy of: themissiah, food network, jaroslawpocztarski, & perpetualplum

an organized home is a happy home

A few years back, I got on this kick to start purging all of the junk out of my life, and to organize. The organizing bug started in my closets, and has taken over almost all areas of my life. I have alot of work to do yet, but, I'll get there. I've been helping a few girlfriends do the same, and it's been great to watch as they purge all the unnecessaries out of their lives, clean their homes, and enjoy the peace that comes with freeing yourself of all the clutter & chaos. Maybe this post will help you to throw away the extra lids, the dried up pens, the pile of junk mail, and to clean out drawer that collects everything.










An organized home/garage/office/closet gives us more time to devote to family, friends, volunteer work, etc. It's nice to have a need for something and to be able to find it right away. This method of organizing has been foolproof, so far. Give it a try 1 drawer, or 1 room at a time. As you continue, you'll find that it sort of snowballs, and before you know it, the entire house makes sense.



When organizing, I use the 'Bin Method', which is basically to set up 4 bins,or tubs which have been marked: KEEP, GIVE AWAY, NOT SURE YET, and TRASH. If you'll try this method, it will get you through every space.
Take it one step at a time- allot 2 hours tops to work on this, you don't want to get overwhelmed. When you're comfortable to take longer, do it. It's really fun!
If you're in a room that is full, start at the outside edge, work clockwise around the room, clearing a 4 foot path as you go, until the room is empty of clutter. The only thing that should remain is the furniture- then go back and "redecorate" carefully.

















Lets Get Started:
Set your bins next to your project and pick up items 1 at a time, then, make the determination:
KEEP- I am keeping this- I use this- I have a deep sentimental attachment to it- it's important. If so, throw it in your KEEP bin.
GIVE AWAY- I love this, don't need it, this can be used by someone else, it's too nice, or useful to throw away. If so, throw it in your GIVE AWAY bin.
NOT SURE YET- (we all have this something we can't get rid of. Whether it be that saucer that has no matching cup. The 1 of 5000 pictures that Johnnie colored at 3 years, or the picture frames purchased 10 years ago 5 for a dollar) If you're not sure you can get rid of it, throw it in the NOT SURE YET bin.
TRASH- you should know this when you see it, old flyers, gum wrappers, hairballs, tags from clothes etc. If you see it, throw it in the TRASH bin.

After filling these bins, or getting overwhelmed- whichever comes first. Take your bins into a quiet place and start going through them in the order mentioned above. If you are keeping something, put the bin aside until you have finished, If you are giving something away, either call Salvation Army or that friend immediately and have them come and get it. If you're not sure yet, you will put these items in an area for 4 months/ putting a date label on the bin. If after 4 months you have not gotten anything out of that bin, understand that you don't need it, and give it away or throw it away. And lastly take your trash to the curb.

Good luck to you as you begin. More organizing posts to follow...........
photos courtesy of hgtv, BH&G, design diva, and DIY