Tip For Cooking Meatloaf...

Hi everyone!! I know there are a hundred different ways to make meatloaf and everyone has their family favorites, so I'm not sharing a recipe with you today. Mine is pretty basic too..breadcrumbs, egg, milk, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. What I do want to share is a quick tip on which pan to use. My mom always made her meatloaf in the typical "loaf" pan…hence the name. Lol

However, I usually buy hamburger in larger size packages with 2-3 pounds of meat in each. One small loaf pan doesn't hold that much. Years ago, when the girls were younger, I made meatloaf and used a bundt pan for the first time. That pan holds so much more and the center hole allows the meat to cook evenly all around the ring.

That first time I cooked it in a bundt pan, the girls thought it was the funniest thing ever. That whole dinner we tried to invent a new name for meatloaf. They laughed so hard that night coming up with names, we still talk about it. What did they come up with…

Bundt-O-Burger…we still call it that to this day!!

A bundt pan fits so much more than a loaf pan.

We top ours with ketchup. What do you top your meatloaf with?

Bakes evenly all the way around.

Slices like a cake for perfect portions too.

The next time you need to make a larger meatloaf…try a bundt pan. It works great!!

Thanks for stopping by,
~Karen~

Summer Cookout Tip…Coffee Filter Hot Dog Holder

Hi everyone…quick and simple tip today. I was going through all my supplies in my craft room the other day and came across a couple packages of coffee filters I bought for the wreath project. Click HERE if you want to see the wreath tutorial.

I was trying to think of other ideas to use up the packages of filters and "what" we were having for dinner that night gave me the answer. We were cooking hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill.

Perfect holder for your hot dog…

These filters would be great for a large party, cookout or picnic when people are standing around and munching on food. They don't need a plate, but the coffee filter will keep things neat with no drips. It already has a bowl shape to keep things contained.

The filters are already made to handle moisture, so they'll stand up well if you're serving a large crowd and need to put out a lot of hot dogs on serving trays. Much better than a flimsy napkin.

I package of 200 filters are around a $1.50, so they're cheap too!! Much cheaper than the hot dog trays you find in the party stores.

I'm thinking these would be great for town or school sporting events where they sell hot dogs at concessions stands. It's like a plate and napkin in one.

Hope you like this tip!!

Thanks for stopping by,
~Karen~

Wasting Food and Expiration Dates...

I just wasted my last jar of food from the refrigerator. When there are several people in one household opening different jars of food, you're not sure exactly when that jar of salsa or tomato sauce was opened.

When we get home from grocery shopping, that's when I clean the refrigerator out. I threw out several jars of food this weekend from the "I'm not sure" question.

Here's my new solution. We'll see how long this system last and if people actually write the date on it when they open a jar or container of food.

Come on in and share your ideas on expiration dates...

Banana Brownie Recipe...and a Few Tips Too

What's on my kitchen counter these days? Bananas. What else is on my counter these days... fruit flies. What is it with fruit flies this season. They are driving me crazy. So here's my solution to get rid of them!

Bake something with the bananas.

Banana Brownies. My first attempt making this recipe on a wing and a prayer. I've never added bananas to brownies before and they are yummy!! My first thought when I bit into them was chocolate covered bananas.

Come on in for the easy recipe and a tip for sprinkling powdered sugar and sewing too!

Penny Social Idea...Quilt Guilds, Schools, Churches etc

This post is so random, but that's what makes life interesting...little bits of crazy thrown in here and there. Lol

I wanted to share one of those little bits from my childhood with you...a summer memory from our church bazaar. Bazaar, that's a crazy word for it, isn't it? Well, any who...our bazaar was in the church parking lot and was filled with homemade food, games, raffles and family fun. I do remember some details of the bazaar from when I was little, but one thing I remember best was the penny raffle.

Do these look familiar to anyone or is it just me? My fondest memory of the summer...the penny social or penny raffle. Can't remember the exact name, but this was my favorite part of the bazaar.

Let me tell you about them and show you how to make them...

Tool Time Tuesday...Ice Cube Tray Organizer

Welcome to another Tool Time Tuesday!! Today's "thinking outside the box" idea is an ice cube tray organizing tip.

This ice cube tray makes those long skinny cubes that fit in water and drink bottles.

I found this one in a discount store for $2.49. Ice cubes? Maybe not for me, but great for organizing so many things.

Thrifty Thursday...Bleach Stain Repair

Some days I have posts planned out and other days they fall right in my lap...literally. Yesterday was my day off...gym, errands, shopping, laundry, cooking etc. You know the usual.

My 89 year old father lives with us in his own separate apartment that is attached to our home. There was the potential that someone might pop in to visit him, so I went over to his side to do a quick clean...in the clothes I was wearing for the day. Mistake number one.

Favorite black shirt and bleach. Mistake number two!

See it on the bottom right of my shirt. This shirt is soft, flowy and baggy enough where you don't have to suck your stomach in. I was NOT throwing it out!!

I was so mad at myself. I thought for sure when I went to his side to clean it was going to be quick and no harm done. Lol

Couldn't you just cry looking at this.

I remembered an old trick I used on a black sweatshirt of my husbands that was stained with bleach.

Thrifty Thursday...Coin Screwdriver

A few years ago, I did a post about using a US dollar bill for a ruler. You can click HERE if you'd like to read about that. It's like having a ruler in your purse all the time!!

Well, today's thrifty tip is about coins...as screwdrivers.

Thrifty Thursday...Glue Gun Trick

Hi everyone! It's Thrifty Thursday today!! I have a little trick with a glue gun to replace rubber feet on the bottom of something...let me show you in pictures.

I have a small table top ironing board next to my machine. It was my mom's and it's old...

Thrifty Thursday...Chopsticks For Crafting

Hi everyone! Welcome to another Thrifty Thursday. Today's tip is about chopsticks...not to eat with them, but to craft with them. This post is short and sweet, but it's a great sewing tip.

Some restaurants will have chopsticks available for you to eat with...you just need to ask!! These are too cute in their own little package.

Tool Time Tuesday...Finial To Raise Table Height

Hi everyone. Hope you're having a great start to the week. Today I wanted to share a quick tip to raise the height of your fabric cutting table or any table you are working at and you need it to be a little higher.

Here is an older picture of my sewing room that shows the height difference of 2 tables. These 2 tables aren't close enough now in my room to get a good picture.

The table on the left is my desk and the table on the right is my cutting table. These tables were hand me downs from my sister, so I'm not sure where she bought them. They are the farm table type with the oak tops and the white painted legs. I just painted them black.

As a side note, if you are looking for tables to use for sewing, cutting or crafting, I always look in thrift stores, yard sales or online. Just look at the basic style of the table and the legs, not so much the color or age. Paint is a wonderful thing!!

Now on to the leg extension idea...

Thrifty Thursday...Closet Organizing

Thrifty Thursday is usually about using things we already have or at least something cheap, cheap. Click here for all past Thrifty Thursdays (this post will show up too, so scroll down if you click over there).

Today's thrifty find is actually "space"...finding more free space in our homes. There are areas throughout our houses that we are not utilizing to their full capacity. I found that space behind a closet door!!

Tool Time Tuesday...Coat Hook Fix

Happy Tuesday!! I've been doing a little "deep" cleaning before the holidays. You know closet clean outs, going through fall and winter coats, under the bed dust bunnies etc.

Since the weather is changing in our area, I've noticed we have more coats out of the closets and onto the hooks in our back hallway. The hooks are great for the quick coat grab on the way out the door. Here is a picture of the hooks...no big deal, just hooks.

Why am I sharing this with you?

The dreaded coat bump!! Lol

Tool Time Tuesday...Binder Clip Key Chain

Hello everyone. Here's another quick transformation of an ordinary item into something helpful. I've seen other uses for binder clips online, but this is one I love for my purse. I think I saw this in Real Simple magazine

I am always looking for my keys on the bottom of my purse, so here's a quick solution...

Binder clips from an office supply.

Eggs-tra Special Campfire Starter...

Summertime means...campfires, s'mores, relaxing and family fun.

Want to make fire starting eggs-tra easy? I saw this idea in a book years and years ago, and wanted to share it with you.

Recycle a CARDBOARD (only) egg carton and fill it with "match light" charcoal. Fill each egg cup with one brickette.

Make sure they are match light charcoal and the carton is cardboard, NOT the styrofoam kind.

Close up the carton and it's perfect to take with you to the campground.

Add to your campfire site, barbecue grill or your fire pit. This is the fire pit we keep in our back yard for s'more parties!! (we don't keep it next to those trees...I just had to move it in the shade for the picture)

The cardboard carton is easy to light with a match and then the charcoal starts too!!

Storage, transporting and ease of starting...Perfect!!

Make up several cartons and keep them on hand to take with you camping or just keep in a safe place for those last minute fires you have in the backyard for roasting hot dogs or marshmallows!

Have a great day,
~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Knee Pads For All Hobbies

Welcome all my blogging friends to another edition of Tool Time Tuesday!!

Today we are off to the hardware store, the sporting goods store or your significant other's workbench. We're going to be using Knee Pads!!

I'm going to be honest with you. These knee pads are my new favorite crafting accessory...

Stylish...definitely NOT!

but let me tell you, they are FABULOUS!

For me, the largest work space I have in my house or my craft room is the "floor".

I use the floor for...

• cutting out sewing patterns
• layering and pinning a quilt for quilting
• assembling craft projects
• organizing paper work
• painting
• etc...

Here I am painting a table I had in my sewing room that was used for an ironing board, but now we need it for a computer table in the family room.

The knee pads are awesome. Lately, these 47 year old knees are giving me problems...especially my left knee. Every time I kneel, the patella (that ball on your knee cap) rolls, feels absolutely gross when it does it and then hurts for days after. The foam cushion in the pads feels so good on the knee cap

You can buy them in any hardware store...I've seen them in different sections...tile section, rug section and general hardware area. They have simple foam pads that are only $3.00 - $4.00 and the price goes up with how fancy they are. Lol !!!

The pads I have on are old roller blading knee pads, so check sporting good stores too.

If you do a lot of crafting on the floor like I do, use the knee pads now, before you do have knee issues...they are great!

Happy Tuesday,
~Karen~

I'm Thinking Thin...

Thin might not happen, but I'm thinking it. You know...thin waist, thin legs, thin butt. I'll take one of the three right about now. I started walking more with hubby and I'm also trying very hard to eat better. "Trying " is the word.
spaceBelieve it or not the below picture is deceiving...it is so yummy and good for you too!!
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These bagels are new from Thomas'. They are thinner and are only 110 calories. A regular bagel can be over 300-400 calories

Instead of butter, I use apple butter. There are only 30 calories in 1 tablespoon and no fat. I remember apple butter as a child when we visited Amish country in Pennsylvania. I could eat this whole jar, but that would defeat the purpose of the "Thin" title.

Give them a try they are delicious...great mid morning or afternoon snack.

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Take care,

~Karen~

Do You Know There's a Ruler in Your Wallet...

Here's a quick FYI...you have a ruler in your wallet and you don't even know it. A US paper bill is approximately 6 inches x 2 1/2 inches. (6 1/8th ", give or take).

If you are out shopping at a yard/tag sale, consignment shopping or thrifting and don't have a tape measure with you, just take out a dollar bill. I keep a little list going of the items I am looking for, like furniture, side tables, baskets, frames etc. I also keep the size of the items I need on the list. If I forget a tape measure, all I need to do is take out a bill and measure it!!!

For other countries, just measure your paper bill and you'll have a handy ruler too!!

Have fun shopping and now you won't come home with the "perfect" basket for your closet that sticks out 5 inches too much!!

Have a great day,
~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Crafting Light Box

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This is a quick and handy light box used to trace an image or pattern, especially from a quilt book or magazine that you do not want to destroy by cutting it up.
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Do you know they sell pre cut pieces of plexi glass in the hardware store? Well, here is a picture of the 11 x 14 sheet. It's covered in plastic to keep it from scratching. The best part is, it's only $3.15 a sheet.

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This is a close up of the label
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Here is the plexi glass with the protective sheet coming off.

and it's crystal clear.

The next thing you will need is a tap light. They are also found in hardware stores, Walmart and other stores selling housewares.

They run on batteries.

The next few pictures are the types of boxes that you can use. Use anything around the house, like this aluminum foil pan. Just place the tap light inside and the plexi glass on top and you are all set to go.

How about on old 13 x 9 baking pan.

Just add plexi glass and light.

Here's an old photo storage box.

easily transformed into a light box.

and here's a covered storage box.

All you need to do is place the original image on the box with the light on. Hard to see this, because it was so bright in the room at the time, but the tap light is on. Figures, there is great natural light for a photo and I don't need it.

Place your blank piece of paper over the image...

and start tracing!!!

With this cheap and convenient light box you can take it any where. You can store all your quilting supplies in the box with the tap light and you can take it to a quilting class if you need to.

spaceRemember ladies...always think outside the box...the light box that is!!!

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I've linked this post to CSI's Hardware Challenge
spaceHave a great Tuesday and have fun tracing away the day,

~Karen~