What To Do When Wine Charms Won’t Fit Your Glasses

Why is it that the number of dirty cups in the sink far outweighs the number of occupants in the home? Marking your glasses for home or company use is a sure way to cut down on each person using more than one glass. There are many ways to do this.

• Make a set of unique wine charms. Assign each person a different charm and hope they remember which is theirs.
• Paint your glasses with blackboard paint and chalk on the names. Using a liquid chalk makes the writing easier.
• Use a dry erase pen to write on the names of the cup’s temporary owner. This doesn’t work so well on dark mugs.

Here’s my newest way to keep one glass per person . . . Name Coasters!

Soooo easy too! 3 steps to this tutorial.

1. Grab a 4 pack of cork coasters and a marker from your local Dollar Store. If there are more than 4 people in your home get as many packs as needed.

2. Remove & throw away all the packaging.

3. Write one person’s name on each coaster.

DONE.

My brother-in-law came up with this idea which we field tested on New Year’s Eve. It worked brilliantly. Every one was committed to either putting their glass back on their coaster or keeping their coaster with their glass. Kept the furniture safe from water rings too.

This is an idea that works for me because there are fewer glasses, no plastic throw-away cups, and the counter is once again filled with snacks rather than excess cups.

To share your tip link up to the Works-For-Me-Wednesday crew at We Are That Family. Or go there to see what you can glean from the 141 posts already linked. I am # 142.

Your Turn . . . What’s your best tip on keeping the ratio of glasses per person to a reasonable number?

Related Organizing Posts . . . 

• 6 Purse Tips
• Keyboard Organizer
• Managing Phone Messages in 4 Steps
• Kitchen Labeling Tip

How to Build a Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Kit (WFMW)

The aroma of Banana Chocolate Chip Bread as it bakes is one of the seven smell wonders of the world. Eating this tasty bread is a gastronomical treat.

I am always more than ready to smell and eat this gem. But I am not always ready to make it. That’s why I started making Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Kits. You know, gather all the dry ingredients together and put them into plastic bags to make your own “box” mix ready for some future use.

Read on for directions on how to make this Banana Chocolate Chip Bread box mix.

1. Get recipe here. Read it through. Gather all your recipe ingredients, 1 baggy and 1 tie, 2 quart sized Ziploc bags, and 1 gallon sized Ziploc bag.
2. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl until blended. Put one quart sized Ziploc bag inside a glass. Pour the flour mixture in. Press out air and then close it.
3. Combine chocolate chips and walnuts in a small bowl; toss with 1 Tablespoon flour. Put one baggie inside a glass. Pour the chocolate chip mixture in. Press out air and then twist tie it closed.
4. Put one quart sized Ziploc bag inside a glass. Put 1 cup sugar into the quart Ziploc bag. Press out air and then close it.
5. Put all three bags into a gallon sized Ziploc bag.
6. I usually make 3 or 4 of these kits up at the same time. I do all one step for each recipe at one time. I.e. I’ll have 3 glasses with a quart sized baggie in each and put the flour mixture into them. Etc.
7. I can get two kits into one gallon sized Ziploc bag. I rubber band the sugar and flour mixture bags (for each recipe bags) together.
8. Print out a copy of the recipe and put it in the gallon Ziploc bag.

If something doesn’t make sense, leave a comment and I’ll sort it out. It sounds more complicated than it really is. Good eating!

This post is for Works-For-Me-Wednesday. Don’t know what that is? Go here for FAQ about Works-For me Wednesday. Go here to read other tips. Link up what works for you or leave a comment. FYI – I am #145 on this list.

4 Baking Tips to Make Your Time in the Kitchen a Little Easier (WFMW)

Gillian is British and besides making a great cup of coffee, she knows food. Gillian runs her own personal chef business and has the education and practice to make it a tasty and successful one.

At Christmas we made three recipes. I came home with more than delicious sweets. I also came home with some tips. Maybe one of these will help you in the kitchen.

1. Chop sticks are more than an eating utensil. Put one chopstick into the flour bin. Fill up your measuring cup and use the chopstick to level the flour.

2. Whisks are good for dry ingredients too. Need to stir or sift together flour and baking soda (or other dry ingredients)? Then put the items into a bowl, grab a whisk, and start whisking!

3. Honey doesn’t have to be hard to clean off measuring utensils. Grab your vegetable or olive oil spray and mist a fine layer onto the measuring spoon or cup. Now fill it with the golden liquid. It will glide out and not leave any “stickies.”

4. Extra tinfoil eases cooked dessert out of the pan. Line your pan with tin foil, but make sure it extends to either side an extra 5 or 6 inches.  Once the dessert is cool simply grab both sides, lift, and put on top of a cutting board.  So much easier to cut. No scratches to your pan either.

In case you are interested we made pecan pie bars, cranberry orange bread and Nanaimo bars. The recipes will be posted soon.

This post is for Works-For-Me-Wednesday. Don’t know what that is? Go here for FAQ about Works-For-Me-Wednesday. To link up, go here. I am number 57. What number are you?

Kitchen Labeling Tip & Past Posts for WFMW

Today’s Works-For Me-Wednesday is topic day: kitchen organization. I am not all that organized, but my daughter is. In an attempt to help me to remember WHERE to out the various items on my pantry shelves. She came up with a simple, simple labeling tip. She wrote on the shelf contact paper the type of good that goes in that row. Broth and tomatoes are the ones you can see. Some cereal and veggies have sneaked into those columns.

Note: My dd used a blue sharpie to label the product types. When I took the first picture broth was all smudged and looked more like brothe with a hint of an “r.” I went over the word in black sharpie.

I wonder if I should be worried? She does have a pesty brother.

NOTE: I should let y’all know that the categories are broad. Like all my soups go into the Broth row. In the Tomatoes row goes sauce, paste, salsa. I also have rows for Fruits, Veggies, etc. Yes, it probably does seem anal, but it helps me to keep the cupboard tidy (usually) because the food boundaries are clearly marked.

Go here to see other helpful kitchen organization ideas at Rocks in my Dryer. So far there are 220 posts to check out.

I have finally organized my past WFMW posts according to topic. See below.

Backwards Edition

• Backwards Edition: How to Eat at a Buffet

Beauty

• Easy Beauty Tip Involving Tweezers
  

Cleaning

• Whiteboard Cleaner That’s Non-Toxic
• 3 Whiteboard Cleaning Tips
• Cleaning Ceiling Fan with Secret Weapon in 5 Easy Steps
• Cleaning Schedule & 5 Natural Degreaser Ideas

Education

• 5 Icons to Use When Taking Notes
• Tip for Finding the Books of the Bible More Easily
• 6 Tips for Consistent Bible Reading
• One Caution When Using Online Cookbooks

Food

• 6 Ways to Store Lemons
• Storing Excess Oranges
• 4 Steps to a Great Microwave Potato
• Breaking Noodles in Half Makes Cooking Easier

Frugal

• Cheap Flower Bouquet Source
• Making an Inexpensive White Board from Shower Board
• Instead of Buying, Have a Thing Exchange

Health

• Tip For Learning to Swallow Pills
• How Planning Ahead is a Weight Loss Aide

Organize

• 6 Purse Tips
• Keyboard Organizer
• Managing Phone Messages in 4 Steps
• Kitchen Labeling Tip

Relationships

• Bingo Your Way to Knowing Each Other (OR/AND as a Learning Re-Enforcement, Finishing The To-Do List)

Shopping

• Good Online Source for Buying Cookbooks

One Caution When Using Online Cookbooks (WFMW)

I have at least 2 dozen hardbound cookbooks. I know. Old fashioned.

These days it is so much easier and faster to Google “pancake recipe for one,” “vanilla pudding recipe,” “perfect gravy,” or “What can I do with sweetened condensed milk, coconut and chocolate chips?”

It may be easier and faster, but the results are not always better. At least that’s been my experience with the pancake, gravy, and pudding recipes. I even went to the more well-known sites like allrecipes.com, recipezaar.com, and cooks.com.

My Works-For-Me-Wednesday tip is to read the comments for the recipe. Look for what the trouble spots were. What common problems are in the reader/cooker responses.

Had I done that . . .

• I would have learned that it was 2 teaspoons and NOT 2 tablespoons of baking powder for one of the recipes.
• I would have known to keep on stirring the ingredients until it just reached the boil so as to avoid lumping.
• I would have simply avoided this recipe all together because it did not produce anything like its promised name.

Just because it’s on the computer, it doesn’t mean it is right, better, or even plausible. Even though the site may be well known, it pays to take a few moments to check what the comments say.

Or else, grab one of your hardback cookbooks and follow a recipe that has been tested and loved for over many, many decades.

• What did I do with the coconut? Gave it away.
• The chocolate chips? Ate them from the bag.
• The sweetened condensed milk? Made this luscious iced coffe drink in 5 easy steps.

Go to Works-For-Me-Wednesday for other tips to make your life a little easier. As of 10:09 pm (August 26) there are 78 entries.

Past Food Related WFMW Posts . . .

• 6 Ways to Store Lemons
• Storing Excess Oranges
• 4 Steps to a Great Microwave Potato
• Breaking Noodles in Half Makes Cooking Easier

6 Tips to Consistent Bible Reading

Do you find it easy to be consistent with a Bible reading plan?

I struggle with this at times. I’ve found 6 ways to help myself.

1. Keep all my Bible reading “supplies” together and in the same place. This includes my Bible, pencil, commentary, notebook, and timer. When I sit down to read, I also bring my ice pack (from the freezer) for my lower back. I use my notebook for insights and questions from the text. I also jot down any worries or to-do’s that interrupt my mind.
2. Find a quiet place to read. The less distractions I have, the better I am able to purposefully read; and the more I want to read.
3. Beautify the space. Because this area is beautiful, it is a visual joy to sit here. I have a candle that I light and a pretty pillow that I use. In the winter I snuggle with a lap quilt that a dear friend made.
4. Realize that life happens. Some seasons I have a lot of time to read. Sometimes not. For those “not” times, I choose a plan this is shorter or tweak one to make the readings shorter. Since I have a lifetime to read the Bible, I don’t have to read it everyday, every season, like a Ph.D scholar.
5. Mix it up. Sometimes I follow a devotional and read/ponder the Scriptures listed. Sometimes I hop-scotch through the books. Sometimes I feel “led” to read certain portions. Mainly I use a reading plan.
6. Pray. I ask God to help me to have a hunger for His Word and to help me carve out the time on a daily basis. I also ask Him to guide me and show me what He wants me to see.

Did you know that there is a WIDE VARIETY of reading plans available online? Into They Word Ministries lists 12 plans.

Below are some of my favorites.

• 90 days to read through the New Testament
• Read the Bible according to its genres (History, Law, Poetry, Epistles, etc.)
  
• Read the Bible in chronological order (according to when the books of the Bible were written)
  
• Read the Bible in historical timeline order

This works for me. What tips do you have to share?

Go to Works-For-Me Wednesday (WFMW) to see what works for other folks in ALL kinds of areas. So far today there are 245 entries.

Below are some of my past WFMW posts that might be helpful.

• 5 Icons to Use When Taking Notes
• Tip for Finding the Books of the Bible More Easily

BINGO Your Way to Knowing Each Other Better (WFMW)

*Spoiler Alert* If you are going to Women’s Retreat 2008 do NOT read any further. Otherwise you will read about Friday night’s Bingo icebreaker game.

Everyone else may continue reading . . .

Cleaning Your Ceiling Fan in 5 Easy Steps

The weather is warm and the ceiling fan helps move the air around the house. Since the fan blades are dirty, it also moves dust around the house. So today, I’ll clean it in 3 easy steps.

1. Gather supplies: drop cloth, ladder/stool, spray cleaner, feather duster, and the secret weapon – a sock. You might need two, if the fan is very dirty.
2. Spread drop cloth under fan. Set stool/ladder on top of cloth, under the fan. Get on ladder.
3. Dust fan blades. Put sock on dominant hand.
4. Spray fan blades. (Sometimes I uses vinegar, if I don’t have any regular cleaning sprays.) Wipe off with socked hand. Repeat until done.
5. Pick up drop cloth. Shake outside. Put away all your supplies.

This cleaning project is great for using up odd socks. And I always seem to have odd socks. Even though they go into the dryer as a pair, they come out as singles. Go here to read a poem about missing socks I wrote one distraught day.

Go here to read other Works-For-Me-Wednesday posts.

Related Posts Works-For-ME Wednesday:

Cleaning

• Whiteboard Cleaner That’s Non-Toxic
• 3 Whiteboard Cleaning Tips

Edited to Add These Tips from Commenters:

• Crystal uses a vacuum attachment, “that weird little round brush,”  to clean her fan and return air ducts.
• Melissa puts a pillow case over the entire blade so that all the yuckys fall inside the case and nothing on the ground.
• Christine uses a microfiber cloth and spray she bought at the same time she bought the fan.