Pinned There, Done That, Got a Review

With the discovery of Pinterest, there are a gazillion projects now on my to-do list.  I thought I'd chronicle a few of the ones that I've actually gotten around to on this blog, just to keep track.

Mongolian Beef -  thumbs up!  But definitely need to strain off the excess corn starch, as the recipe instructs.   I didn't and it was gummy.

Crock Pot Orange Chicken  thumbs down! This we didn't like. It had a funny taste to it. And the purpose of a crock pot is to set it and get on to work or other things. This dish required the chicken to be pan-cooked first ... not easy at 5am. I'm removing this from my Kitchen & Kibble Board.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili   This was really good, but spicy!  I used 5 frozen chicken breasts and it still wasn't too heary, but enough.  I used Rotel (Original flavor) for the diced tomatoes & chilis ~ next time I'll either get the mild version and/or nix/reduce the chili powder.  It was a tad too spicy for the kids, but great otherwise.    It was also much soupier than in the picture.  I strained the veggies, but not the Rotel, so maybe that's why.  I was still really good, though!

Duct Tape on water bottles... so cute and no printing running in the ice!!!! Brilliant!  do this all the time, such a great idea!!!  there are so many varieties of colored duct tape these days (i've gotten it at Hobby Lobby & Wal-Mart)

DIY Zebra Print Mani/Pedi tutorial.  I tried this on my toes, but without the Nail Art pen.  It was hard and doesn't look that great.  I used a toothpick for the fine lines and didn't really like the results.  I found a Nail Art pen at CVS and will try again with this attempt wears off or whenever I get a chance - whatever comes first.  LOL!
YouTube tutorial here

Protect those expensive shoes!! I bought a dusting thing like this for $3.99-ish from Ross (and removed the acrylic handle). Place it on the floorboard of your car. Then the back of your right shoe won't get worn & scratched by the rough mats in your car..... at least for the shoes you can't easily kick off in order to drive barefoot. Go people-watching or go in your closet and check out your own shoes .... you'll see what I mean.

Over The Door Storage - not just for shoes! Gloves, hats, swim goggles, hair accessories, medicines, scarves, ..... you name it!! I have one hanging on all the closet doors.               

Homemade Ice Cream without the Ice Cream Maker!  This works and is so fun!! A pint of homemade ice cream in a bag in 10 minutes - no ice cream maker required. I remember doing this in high school science class!!  Here is the tutorial/recipe

Easy Clean for the Microwave  

This Works!!! Easy way to clean your microwave - heat a bowl of water and vinegar for 5 minutes, the steam will dissolve stuck on stains. Simply wipe off.

 

 

This has been great to transfer old VHS's of the kids into digital format.  You can also use it to transfer something from your DVR to your computer (minding all copyright laws, of course).  $14.02  This comes with its own software, but I prefer using Roxio with it.   product link here

 

 

Elf on the Shelf  we did this last Christmas and what a remarkable improvement in behavior!!