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Month: January 2015

Game Day Roast Beef & Swiss Sliders

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These will be a big hit at your big game day party! You can assemble this ahead of time, then pop in the oven just before guests arrive! So no missing a big play because you were in the kitchen!

Simple Roast Beef and Swiss Sliders

Roast Beef Sliders 2

Makes 24 individual sliders!

Ingredients:

  • 24 slices of roast beef
  • 24 Hawaiian Rolls
  • 24 slices of swiss cheese
  • 4 Tablespoons of butter, melted
  • 4 teaspoons of dijon mustard (I used Grey Poupon Country Dijon – love the grains of mustard!)
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon of onion powder
  • 4 generous splashes of Worcestershire Sauce
  • Thinly sliced, sautéed onions (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the Hawaiian rolls in half, and place bottom half of rolls into a baking dish. Place a folded slice of roast beef on the bottom half of roll. Place a slice of swiss cheese on top of that (if using the sautéed onions-add them here), then finish with the top half of roll. Repeat with the remaining rolls, roast beef and swiss.

Combine the melted butter and remaining ingredients, and brush the tops of the rolls with the mixture. Cover with tin foil. If assembling ahead of time, you can place sandwiches in fridge until ready to heat.

To Heat:  Place in 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, removing the tin foil at about 8 minutes along. Keep in oven until the cheese has melted.

Roast Beef Sliders 3

 

Roast Beef Sliders

A Simple Super Bowl Recipe To Make Ahead: Easy Stromboli

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You can sit back and enjoy the game with this great recipe! Assemble several of them ahead of time, keep them in the fridge, and bake them when your guests arrive!

Easy Stromboli

StromboliMakes one Stromboli that feeds 4 people.

 Ingredients:

  • 1 10 oz. can of refrigerated pizza dough (or you can use dough pre-made from your grocery store).
  • 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 2-3 slices of provolone cheese
  • 6 oz. of your favorite italian meat – you can use pepperoni, sausage, prosciutto, salami, or a combination of both! I used pre-sliced italian selection of meats available at Publix.**
  • 2 Roasted red peppers, cut into long strips. I used jarred roasted red peppers.
  • Marinara Sauce for dipping

** Note: You can easily make this without meat by substituting your favorite veggies, chopped small. Use broccoli, basil, olives, banana peppers, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, and so much more! (My favorite combo-Basil, Mozzarella, Provolone, Red Peppers) Anything you’d want on a pizza can be thrown into a stromboli! If you are adding other meats, like chicken, just make sure they are fully cooked before using them in this recipe.

The Veggie & Cheese Stromboli with 2 types of cheese, roasted red peppers and fresh basil.
The Veggie & Cheese Stromboli with 2 types of cheese, roasted red peppers and fresh basil.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place pizza stone in oven to preheat. (or use a baking pan, sprayed with cooking spray)

On a lightly floured work surface, press out pizza dough into a rectangle (approximately 9″x12″).

Layer the provolone and mozzarella cheeses on the dough, leaving a clean border of 1/2″ to 1″ all around. Top with the meats and red pepper.

Roll the dough (lengthwise) like a jelly roll, and seal the edges of it all around.*** Place on the pizza stone (or pan), seam-side down.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes until golden brown.

Slice and serve with warm marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

*** To seal the ends of the stromboli, moisten with water, fold over, and press (on my second attempt, I used a fork to put a crimp like a pie crust and it stayed sealed!). If you don’t seal it well, you could have a blowout! See photo below. Another great way to prevent blow outs is to add a few vent holes/slits on top of the stromboli to allow the steam to vent!

This is an example of a blowout - when you don't seal the stromboli well!
This is an example of a blowout – when you don’t seal the stromboli well!

Laundry Tips: Is Your Dryer Too Slow?

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Dryer Too Slow

Is your dryer slow to dry? Try these simple tips to get clothes dryer, faster: (Note-These are not meant to replace good maintenance of your dryer by a professional!)

Lint Trap Issue #1– Check the lint trap. Between every use, you should remove the lint that is trapped there, but there may be some lint still caught down inside. Use a lint trap brush to get in there and remove all that gross lint!

Lint Trap Issue #2 – This is something I did not know about until recently, but if you use dryer sheets when drying clothes, they can deposit a substance on your lint trap that will make it more difficult to filter the lint, making your dryer work harder. Just scrub that lint trap with warm soapy water and a scrub brush, rinse thoroughly, and allow to dry before placing it back in the dryer.

Lint Trap Issue #3 – Check the vent that leads from the lint trap to the outside – the air is pushed outside and some of that lint can be carried through, or there may be something blocking it from venting properly. Check the outside while the dryer is running; see if anything is hanging out of vent, if sufficient air flow is coming out. If there is no airflow, and you can’t remove it with your hands, you can try using a shop vac to suck out the blockage. You may need to call a professional to service the dryer and the vent outside.

Throw the Towel In (Literally!) – Finally, if you just have an old dryer like I have, the element that heats just may not be doing as good of a job anymore! So toss a clean, dry towel in with your wet load of clothes. It will help speed up the drying process!

Thanks to WTLV-TV’s First Coast Living for inviting me on to share these simple laundry tips!

Got A Stuffy Nose? Make A Vicks Shower Bomb!

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Screen Shot 2015-01-07 at 3.33.54 PM

Cold season has many of us fighting off a stuffy nose. What makes you feel better than a hot, steamy shower? A hot, steamy shower with a blast of menthol!

When you need a little relief, try making a Vicks® Shower Bomb!  They are perfect to have in the bathroom for yourself, or to give away to friends and family. Just toss one onto the drain in your shower, then take your shower as usual — the bomb dissolves, releasing that wonderful menthol smell!

You need the following:

  • One small (1.76 oz.) container of Vicks VapoRub®
  • 1/2 cup of Baking Soda
  • 1 cup of cornstarch
  • 1-2 teaspoons of water, as needed
  • A plastic ice cube tray from Dollar Tree Store (this will be a mold for the bombs!)
  • Plastic gloves, to protect your hands if you have sensitive skin.
  • Sparkles in color of choice (optional)

Directions:

Place the cornstarch in a mixing bowl**. Add your Vicks VapoRub® and mix thoroughly. (You can also add the sparkles if you are using them!) This looks similar to when you try to cut butter into flour – it forms little pellets at first, but then it blends into a good blob!

Now add your baking soda, mixing thoroughly. (I use my hands.) If it looks too dry, add a little bit of the water. Test by squeezing a handful – if it sticks together and doesn’t fall apart, it is good to go!

Press mixture into your mold, be sure to really press it in well. Place the mold into the freezer for a few hours.

Pop the bombs out of the mold. Store them in jars with lids for when you want to use them!

SSD Shower Bomb 2

** Note: Mix in a stainless steel bowl or disposable plastic bowl – the menthol will permeate the plastic.**

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