If you have kids or do crafts, you probably have sponge paint brushes tucked away in your home somewhere. You might want to pull them out and put them to good use in your car!
vlog
Surprising New Uses For Coffee Filters
If you are a coffee drinker like me, chances are you have a few hundred coffee filters hanging around! Well, put them to good use! They aren’t just for coffee anymore!!
The Cut-Free Way To Pick Up Broken Glass
Who hasn’t broken a glass or dish and had to deal with all the little shards of glass? Well, the Diva has an easy way to clean up that mess, and you won’t need a bandaid afterwards!
Crockpot Minestrone Soup
Winter seems to just call for the slow cooker! I love my crockpot for all sorts of things, but I especially love making soups. Soups are my comfort food – I have fond memories of my mom making soups on a cold winter’s day. We would rip off a piece of warm, crusty bread to dip in and get every last drop of delectable broth in the bowl!
This recipe is a nod to my time living in Boston’s North End — the Italian neighborhood! Crockpot Minestrone Soup is perfect to prep the day before, refrigerate, then set it on low for 8-10 hours.
- 1 cup each of carrots, celery, green beans (and really any veggie you may need to get rid of in fridge - I added diced zucchini as well!)
- 1 whole sweet onion, diced
- 64 oz vegetable stock
- 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes - I used Fire Roasted, with Basil, Oregano & Garlic for more flavor!
- 2 16 oz cans dark kidney beans, drained
- 2 15.8 oz cans great northern beans, drained
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 4 cloves
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1- 1½ cups dried elbow pasta - I used Ditalini style because i like the short macaroni!
- Optional: You can also add ¾ cup quinoa if you want to add an extra "punch" of nutrients!
- Combine all ingredients, except pasta & quinoa (if using), into large crockpot.
- Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours, or low for 8-10 hours.
- In last 20 minutes of cooking add in the pasta (and quinoa if using), making sure the slow cooker is set on high for the last 20 minutes.
- Serve with bread and a little fresh parmesan and enjoy!
Crockpot Italian Beef
This is a super recipe to prepare the day before a big event or football game (think EASY tailgating!). Serve on sub rolls, with a little provolone cheese, roasted red peppers – OH SO GOOD!
- 3 cups water or beef broth
- 1 teaspoon of each: sea salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, onion powder, and garlic powder
- 1 bay leaf
- One package of dry, Italian salad dressing mix (I used Zesty Italian!)
- 1 cup sweet onion, chopped
- 5 lb. rump roast
- Place rump roast into crockpot.
- Sprinkle onions over roast.
- In a saucepan, boil the water (or broth if you are using that).
- Add the spices, bay leaf and Italian dressing mix and stir. Bring to a rolling boil and turn off heat.
- Pour the mixture over the roast, then cover and cook on low for 10 hours.
- Serve on toasted sub rolls with melted provolone cheese, roasted red peppers and salted onions! Enjoy!
Trim Down The Holiday Trimmings!
It’s the holidays! Are you on ornament overload? Too much tinsel to tangle with? Try trimming down your stash of holiday ornaments – it is not as difficult as you might think!
It can be done in an hour or less! Trust me!
Remove Tree Sap From Hands In Seconds
I love the timeless, holiday tradition of bringing home the fresh Christmas tree! But want to guess what the most annoying, holiday tradition is? Trying to get the tree sap off your hands!
I have to thank James, the guy at the tree lot where we bought our Christmas trees for this fantastic tip — and it really does work in seconds!
Keep Holiday Lights Safe From Rain!
During the holidays, have you ever come home one rainy night to see your holiday lights are out? When water gets into those electrical connections (like where extension cords connect to holiday lights), it can create a short which trips the circuit breaker – causing all your outdoor lights associated with that breaker to go out!
This Simple Holiday Survival tip is sure to help prevent that from happening!
A New Way To Serve Stuffing
Tired of serving stuffing out of a bird’s behind? Try presenting your stuffing in a creative way (plus, you don’t have to worry about undercooking and getting salmonella!).
Make your stuffing in a bundt pan! It is not only healthy, but it presents the stuffing in a unique form! The key is to add eggs to your favorite recipe so it will hold together when you take it out of the bundt pan. Look how pretty it looks!
You can use your own, favorite recipe, just be sure to add 3-4 eggs to your mixture (mix it in with the chicken broth you use in your recipe). Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until it is lightly browned.
If you are in need of a recipe, try this one:
- 4 slices thick cut bacon (or ½ cup ground pork sausage), cooked, drained and copped into small pieces (keep the fat in the pan)
- 1 Tablespoon chopped, fresh sage
- ½ cup fresh chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon (or more) minced garlic
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 loaf of french bread, cubed and dried in a 200 degree oven until lightly toasted - about 20 minutes.
- 2-3 cups chicken broth
- 3-4 eggs, beaten
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Using the pan with the bacon (or pork sausage) grease, sauté the sage, garlic, parsley together for 30-40 seconds. Add the chopped bacon (or sausage) and stir.
- In a small bowl, mix the beaten eggs into the chicken broth.
- In a large bowl, place the bread cubes, the herb mixture, and mix together.
- Slowly add the chicken broth mixture, tossing the bread cubes to coat.
- Press mixture into a lightly greased bundt pan.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
- Allow to rest for 20 minutes.
- Invert onto a serving platter.
Have a VERY Happy Holiday!
Sweet Potato Stackers
My family LOVES sweet potatoes! I served these and they were a BIG hit, so I believe I will serve them for Thanksgiving this year. Buttery layers of sweet potatoes with rosemary and garlic and fresh parmesan cheese – my mouth is watering just thinking about them!
These are a different way to serve those delectable, spuds of the South! And best part? No mini marshmallows!
- 4-5 sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and sliced into thin slices.
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary (plus another teaspoon for topping at end)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 2-4 Tablespoons fresh grated parmesan cheese (plus 2 TBS for topping at end)
- salt & pepper to taste
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Combine in a large bowl the melted butter, olive oil, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and whisk until they ingredients are blended.
- Add freshly grated parmesan cheese and lightly wish.
- Add sliced sweet potatoes to the bowl and mix until all slices are coated in the oil mixture.
- In a light greased muffing tin, layer the sweet potatoes until each tin is filled to the top. These will shrink down while they cook.
- Cook for 45-55 minutes, or until the potatoes are lightly browned and are tender.
- Place on a plate and top with more parmesan cheese and fresh chopped rosemary. Serve immediately.