Slap Chop Remix

Well, I think it's funny. Watch this, and be prepared to have this song stuck in your head.

"You're gonna be in a great mood all day, cuz you're gonna be slappin your troubles away with the Slap Chop."

Mummy Halloweenies with Mustard Dip!

These little Mummy treats will be a hit at any Halloween party!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Start to Finish: 40 minutes

44 Servings

1 can (8 oz) flaky dough sheet with no seams

44 cocktail-size smoked link sausages (1 lb package)

1/2 cup creamy Dijon mustard-mayonnaise spread

1 tablespoon dried oregeno leaves

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line two 15x10x1-inch pans with cooking parchment paper.
2. On work surface, roll dough sheet out to 14x11-inch rectangle. Cut vertically to make two 11x7 inch rectagles. Cut crosswise into total of 44 (7x1/2-inch) strips. Pat sausages dry with paper towels.
3. Wrap 1 strip of dough around each sausage to look like a littly mummy; press firmly at each end to secure. Place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart for even browning.
4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix mustard and oregano. Place two small dots of mustard on each sausage for eyes. Serve warm with mustard dip.

(Image and awesome recipe from the Pillsbury Halloween Fun magazine. Visit http://www.pillsbury.com/!)

Creepy Halloween Lady Finger Pretzel Snacks!

Ingredients
Makes 4 dozen

• Red or green food coloring (optional, for fingers)
• 24 blanched almonds, halved lengthwise
• 2 cups warm water (110 degrees), plus 3 quarts, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 package active dry yeast (1/4 ounce)
• Vegetable oil
• 5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• 1 large egg
• Sea salt
• Fried rosemary (optional, for toes)

Directions

1. Place a small amount of food coloring, if using, in a shallow bowl, and, using a paintbrush, color the rounded side of each split almond; set aside to dry.
2. Pour 2 cups water into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment. Add sugar; stir to dissolve. Sprinkle with yeast, and let stand until yeast begins to bubble, about 5 minutes. Beat in 1 cup flour into yeast on low speed until combined. Beat in coarse salt; add 3 1/2 cups flour, and beat until combined. Continue beating until dough pulls away from bowl, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup flour. Beat 1 minute more. If dough is sticky, add up to 1 cup more flour. Transfer to a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth, 1 minute.
3. Coat a large bowl with cooking spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning dough to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap; let rest in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a 6-quart straight-sided saucepan over high heat; reduce to a simmer. Add baking soda. Lightly coat two baking sheets with cooking spray. Divide dough into quarters. Work with one quarter at a time, and cover remaining dough with plastic wrap. Divide first quarter into 12 pieces. On a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece back and forth with your palm forming a long finger shape, about 3 to 4 inches. Pinch dough in two places to form knuckles. Or, to make toes, roll each piece so that it is slightly shorter and fatter, about 2 inches. Pinch in 1 place to form the knuckle. When 12 fingers or toes are formed, transfer to simmering water. Poach for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fingers to the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough, blanching each set of 12 fingers or toes before making more.
5. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush pretzel fingers and toes with the egg wash. Using a sharp knife, lightly score each knuckle about three times. Sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary, if using. Position almond nails, pushing them into dough to attach. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack. Fingers and toes are best eaten the same day; or store, covered, up to 2 days at room temperature.

(Photo and Recipe from www.MarthaStewart.com.)

Easy Recipe for the Whole Family!

Don't know what to make for dinner tonight? Try this awesome recipe we found on Allrecipes.com!

Burrito Pie

SUBMITTED BY: KATHIMC

PREP TIME 30 Min
COOK TIME 30 Min
READY IN 1 Hr

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 (2 ounce) can black olives, sliced
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chili peppers
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
1 (16 ounce) jar taco sauce
2 (16 ounce) cans refried beans
12 (8 inch) flour tortillas
9 ounces shredded Colby cheese

DIRECTIONS
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the ground beef for 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, and saute for 5 more minutes. Drain any excess fat, if desired. Mix in the olives, green chile peppers, tomatoes with green chile peppers, taco sauce and refried beans. Stir mixture thoroughly, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
3.Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of a 4 quart casserole dish. Cover with a layer of tortillas followed by more meat mixture, then a layer of cheese. Repeat tortilla, meat, cheese pattern until all the tortillas are used, topping off with a layer of meat mixture and cheese.
4.Bake for 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbly.

Back to School Backpack Craft Idea

Apples aren't just for eating. The cut side of an apple half, dipped in candy-colored paint, can be stamped onto otherwise ordinary canvas tote bags and backpacks.

Apple-Print Bag How-To
1. Cut an apple in half from top to bottom. Make sure the cut is smooth and flat. Use a paintbrush to apply the paint evenly over the cut side of the apple.

2. With the apple half, cut side down, stamp the surface of the object you want to decorate. The more times you stamp, the less vivid the print will be, so reapply paint, or use the other half.

3. Use additional apple halves to print with different colors, if desired. To draw stems and leaves, use black or green markers (or paint).

(Photo and craft idea from http://www.marthastewart.com/)

Kid's Room Home Staging Tip: Tutu Table

A whimsical way to―literally―dress up a nightstand: Wrap a tutu around the edge of a kitchen stool and secure it with double-sided tape.

(Tip and photo from www.realsimple.com)

Live Like Lindsay Lohan - FOR LESS!

"You're looking inside Lindsay Lohan's former Manhattan pied a terre. The asking price for this 40th floor apartment in the Atelier building is $1.25 million. The Atelier's amenities include a marble lobby, basketball and volleyball courts, a rooftop lounge, sun deck, fitness and yoga center and indoor swimming pool, Luxist.com reports. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment features floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the Empire State Building, according to NBC New York. Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo reportedly own a place in this building as well."

You can bring many of these Lindsay Lohan'esque features into your own home by making one quick stop at IKEA!

IKEA 365+ RISP - Duvet cover and pillowcase(s)
Get this duvet cover!

FARUM - Rug
Get this rug!

KAFFE - Coffee/ tea maker
Get this coffee maker!

MALM - Bedroom Storage Series
Get this bedroom storage!

ERIKSLUND - Picture
Get this frame!

HUSVIK - Work lamp
Get this lamp!

BÅGVIK - Single lever kitchen faucet
Get this faucet!

TIRUP - Swivel chair
Get this chair!

(Photos and article from www.nydailynews.com. Below photos from www.ikea.com)

Home Staging Tip: Painting

Are you selling your home? Getting your home "Market Ready" can be easy with this Home Staging tip!



Aluminum Foil as Paint Protector

Protect doorknobs and hardware in the kitchen and bathroom when you’re painting by wrapping foil around them to catch dribbles. The foil molds to the shape of whatever it’s covering and stays firmly in place until the job is complete.

(Tip from www.realsimple.com. Subscribe for Real Simple magazine here.)

Crafty Home Staging Projects: Tin Can Alley

Are you selling your home? Getting your home "Market Ready" can be fun with these easy Home Staging craft projects.

Tin Can Alley

You'll Need:

• Several Aluminum Cans (emptied and cleaned)
• Tin snips
• Sharpie marker, any color
• Spray paint, in silver metallic
• Work gloves
• Tea lights

Here's How:

1. Divide your can into four equal parts by drawing short vertical lines with your Sharpie around the lip of your can at quarter turns.
2. Draw four petals evenly around the can, inside the lines you've marked.
3. Cut off the rim of the can with the tin snips.
4. Cut out your petals.
5. Carefully bend the petals outward, so the can looks like an opening flower.
6. Cover the petals with silver metallic spray paint.
7. Make as many as you need to line your driveway or patio, and put a tea light in each one to light the way.

(Project from "The Big-Ass Book of Crafts" by Mark Montano. Photos by Auxy Espinoza. Get your copy of this awesome book on Amazon here.)

Curb Appeal How-To

Walk across the street from your house, turn around, take a good look at your yard and ask yourself if you're impressed by what you see -- or just plain depressed.

We can't all have yards worthy of being on the cover of a landscaping magazine. Those yards generally come with a high price tag. But a little cash can go a long way to improve your home's curb appeal. In fact, with existing homes selling at the slowest rate in a decade, if your house will be on the market, you can't afford not to spend some money and time on landscaping that will distinguish your house from others.

So we asked landscape professionals how homeowners could get the most bang for their landscaping buck within certain budgets: $100, $500, $1,000 and $2,000. They even threw in a few ideas for ways you can improve your yard without spending a cent.

Make a plan first

Regardless of your budget, before you grab a shovel or head to a nearby garden center, you need to determine your goals and ask yourself some questions to ensure your money is well spent, says Tara Vincenta, founder of Artemis Landscape Architects, in Brookfield, Conn.

Are you trying to improve your yard so you can enjoy it for years to come or to increase your chances of selling your house? Do you live in the city, 'burbs or countryside? What is your home's architectural style? Do you live in a wet or arid climate? Are deer or other wildlife an issue? "All these considerations can affect your approach," Vincenta says.

You don't want to waste money on plants that require full sun if your yard is in the shade. Nor do you want to try to replicate that cool, modern landscape design you saw on TV with your Victorian home -- especially if you're trying to sell it. The kind of person who would be interested in your home would want a garden that complements it.

"Do research before you go to a garden center and buy at random, or you'll end up with a hodgepodge," Vincenta says.

For $100, you can ...

Create a welcoming entrance with one or two big pots filled with colorful plants. "A plant in a pot looks much bigger than when you put it in the ground," says landscape architect Sam Williamson, owner of Samuel H. Williamson Associates, in Portland, Ore.

Make a significant impact on your landscape with a few 5-gallon trees for about $35 each, if you plan to stay in your home for at least five years, says landscape architect David Keith, owner of Arbor Studio, in Blanco, Tex. Smaller trees also tend to acclimate better.

Buy seeds, such as a mix of wildflowers, and cover much more ground than $100 worth of plants.

For $500, you can ...

Invest in a couple of great architectural pots that make a statement at your entrance, Vincenta says. Add rounded boxwoods for a classic look, or try a seasonal planting of ornamental grasses, and colorful annuals and trailing plants for an eye-catching display.

Add a bench or garden ornament, such as a trellis or birdbath, to a key spot or a nice mailbox and with some plantings for at? the base.

Pay someone to professionally prune or selectively remove (and replace) overgrown bushes.

Spruce up your foundation plantings with a border of long-blooming perennials. Vincenta says to use just two varieties (a dozen or more of each) for more impact and add fresh mulch for a professional look.

For $1,000, you can ...

Redo an area of your garden or even a small backyard, Williamson says.

Hire a landscape designer or architect to create a plan that you can install or to develop a solution to a nagging problem in your yard, says landscape architect Andy Wright, of Landworks, in Edwardsville, Kan.

Add several evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs, to punctuate an entrance, create year-round color in your yard or block a bad view.

Go green by creating a rain garden that will capture and filter runoff from your roof. Vincenta says there are a lot of resources online to help you.

Remove your lawn and replace it with meadow grasses, wildflowers or ground cover. The larger the portion of lawn you remove, the less time and money you'll spend on mowing and fertilizing grass, say both Keith and landscape desinger Barry Block, owner of Barry Block Landscape Design & Contracting, in East Moriches, N.Y.

Install landscape lighting to illuminate the path to your front door.

Buy a small, freestanding water feature, and add rocks, boulders and plantings to make it look natural.

For $2,000, you can ...

Improve your front walkway. You may not be able to replace the entire walkway, but Vincenta says you can make repairs, add a row of bricks or pavers along the edge, or cut out a section and create a pattern to add interest.

Expand your existing plant beds. Redo the straight line of plants at your house's foundation with a much wider bed that has sweeping curves. Layer your plantings with taller shrubs in the back and lower plantings and flowers in the front. And replace any overgrown or dying? plants.

Xeriscape. Replace your lawn with stones, boulders and drought-resistant plants if you live in an arid or fire-prone area.

For free, you can ...

Clean up existing plant beds by removing weeds and overgrown plants.

Prune shrubs -- but not into an unnatural ball or square shape.

Trim tree branches that hang too low and create hazards.

If you're trying to impress potential buyers -- or even guests -- "nothing is worse than having unkempt grounds," says Block. An unruly yard is an immediate turnoff, and buyers might assume you're not maintaining the home well, either.

(Article by Cameron Huddleston from Kiplinger.com)

Simple Water Conservation How-To

Painting Wood Trim How-To

Patio Furniture How-To

A Great Weekend Project

Homemade patio furniture is an excellent weekend project to complement a deck or patio. With a good set of instructions, a few basic power tools, and a little know-how, the results can be outstanding.

For this project, we selected the classic Adirondack style patio furniture founded in the resorts and lodges of the Adirondack Mountains. What makes this style unique—particularly the chairs -- are the rounded backrest, wide armrests, slatted seat and angled supports that give it a reclined look.

Also, we decided to use cedar, but pine is also commonly used for outdoor furniture. It weathers faster than redwood or cedar. But if you're painting the chair, pine is also a good choice.

Building Adirondack furniture involves some special angle cuts, so a detailed plan really plays a key part in getting good results. Our furniture plans came from Wood® Magazine and they’re available in the Hometime on-line store.

Making Adirondack Chairs

You'll probably want to build two chairs to make a set, so duplicate steps for the second chair when making the first.

Begin by cutting all the 1x boards (various widths) to length. Then rip cut them to width according to your plan. To keep track of each piece, label them with a pencil (i.e. "B" for back boards).

The back boards are called splats. Slide them together and using a compass, mark a half circle on the boards. Our plan called for a radius 3 1/2" from the side with a 2 15/16" radius on each end board. Cut the outside edge of the marks with a jig saw then sand them down smooth to the pencil mark.

Angle cut the front slats of the seat to wrap around the front edge. Also, angle cut the cross piece that supports the splats in back. Saw the rounded slat supports and assemble the seat section.

Saw the armrests according to the plan's full-sized pattern. We tacked them together and cut both armrest boards at the same time.

Next, mark the lap joints for the armrests and middle back support. Cut them perfectly square so the ends of the armrests overlap the ends of the support. Pre-drill, glue and fasten the armrests to the support. We countersank the holes with a Forstner bit so we could later plug them.

Cut out the back legs that support the slats. These cuts are a bit tricky. Each leg is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, and both ends are mitered cut. We made two chairs, so we made a jig to guide the cuts through the saw so all the legs would be the same.

Saw the front legs and the pie-shaped armrest supports. Mark and pre-drill screw holes through the legs and seat supports. We also used another jig to space the holes. Then fasten the legs to the slat supports.

Glue and screw the splats to their upper and lower cross member supports. Gap the splats on the lower support and a scrap piece the same height, then fasten the splats to the support. Flip the unit over and clamp the upper support in place. Again, flip the unit over, gap the splats and fasten the upper support.

Fasten the armrest assembly to the front legs, set the splat unit on its support (angling the bottom in without stressing the glued joints) and fasten them together in back.

Fabricating An Adirondack Footstool

The plan for our Adirondack footstool included an angled top that accentuated the slope of the chairs and boomerang-shaped feet that made it a pretty sturdy unit. Because it was fairly small and easy to handle, we assembled the piece on a level workbench surface to help get all the joints lined up properly.

Cut the footstool supports and legs to length and width (cut the slats later). Label them with a pencil to keep track of where they go.

Notch the two legs at the bottom to fit snugly over the stretcher (cross brace). Mark out the notch according to the dimensions of the plan and cut them out with a jigsaw. If the joints are too tight, sand them to fit.

Miter cut the tops of the legs 8° so the top of the rest will slope slightly. Tap the mitered legs onto the stretcher. Attach the boomerang-shaped feet on each leg.

Screw the side rails to the outside edge of each leg, making sure they're flush with the legs' mitered tops. Once the sides are on, measure across them to get the slat distances and cut those to length.

Fit the slats over the rails and gap them accordingly. Pre-drill holes in the centers, then glue and screw them in place.

Building An Adirondack Side Table

The Adirondack table plan we had called for side and end rails holding the tabletop. The angled legs and rounded table ends are designed just like the features of the chair.

Angle cut the legs narrow at the bottom and wide at the top. You can mark out each board and cut along the angled lines, but we ran them through the saw guided on a wood jig. That made all four legs identical.

Cut the side rails to length and width. Then glue, clamp and screw the legs along the ends of the side rails. Use a tri-square to flush the joints.

Cut out the end rails and attach them to the legs. The

ends are rounded off and support the rounded ends of the tabletop.

Mark out the radius for each end splat. Cut them with a jig saw on the outside edge of the mark and sand them down to the mark.

Set the tabletop splats, glue and fasten them in place. Our plan called for five pieces spaced about 1/4" apart that overhang 3/4" on each side to cover the tops of the end pieces.

Plugging & Finishing

Once the furniture is assembled, it needs to be sanded smooth and sealed -- either by paint, stain or some clear coat finish. Yet, prior to sanding and finishing, the countersunk screws and their holes should be plugged to prevent water from entering the wood. The plugs also give the furniture a professionally-built look.

We used a plug cutter attachment on the drill press and cut about 200 plugs from cedar stock to match our furniture. But if you're not too concerned with matching the furniture's wood, lumber yards and how-to centers often carry a variety of pre-cut plugs.

Dab some glue on the plugs and set them in place, making sure the plug grain lines up with the piece. Tap the plugs snugly in place. After installing the plugs, lightly sand the entire piece. Feel across the plugs and sand down any that stick up too high.

Prime the furniture and paint it with an exterior enamel. Paint is the traditional finish for this style of chair and we selected forest green to give the whole set a resort flavor. However, you may instead want to stain your chair after the wood has had a chance to dry out.

Painting the slats can be a bit tedious, but you want good coverage between them. Use a small brush to paint the tight spots. Also, be sure to paint the bottoms of the legs because moisture can easily wick into the wood if it's not protected there.

(Article from Hometime.com)

Home Evaluation How-To

Getting Started

Evaluating a property is something both buyers and sellers should do. An evaluation (or inspection) allows a buyer to assess the condition of a house before any money is exchanged.

An inspection is also advantageous for the seller to find out what's right and wrong with the house before putting it on the market. Also, lending institutions may require an inspection before approving a loan.

Even if you're not buying or selling a house, evaluating the house will give you a good sense of what work and improvements are needed to maintain or increase its value.

Before you and/or a professional inspector examine a house, make sure these items are taken care of: 1) utilities are turned on, 2) you have access to all parts of the house, 3) permission to operate all appliances and heating/cooling systems and ask if it's all right to videotape the house.

Remember that the purpose of a home inspection is not just to find items that need repair or replacement. You're also checking for upcoming maintenance expenses and recording the condition of the property prior to sale.

Use a checklist to make sure that you are looking at all parts of the house. Check off those items that are in good condition, and make notes about those that aren't.

Professional Inspections

If you're buying a house and don't have a general knowledge of construction and mechanical systems, or if you just want a second opinion, consider hiring a professional inspector to evaluate the house before closing.

If the house has problems, the best course of action is usually to convince the seller to correct them. Trying to renegotiate a purchase price after a purchase agreement has been signed often involves difficult paperwork changes.

A good inspector will be a generalist. Specific skills and training (as in engineering or electrical work) are valuable, but not a guarantee that the inspector is qualified to evaluate the WHOLE house.

A good professional inspector will NOT be tied to a contractor. Beware of an inspector who diagnoses a problem and then refers a company to fix it. Make sure the inspector is experienced in examining residential construction.

Ask what, specifically, the inspection will include, and how long it will take. A good inspection will take between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 hours.

Make sure that you can attend the inspection if you wish and that the inspector will supply a written report that will be made available quickly.

Useful Tools

Here are some basic tools used in many home inspections. The handiest tool may be a video camera. Taping inspection visits will help answer questions once you get home and provide a visual record of the house.

• flashlight
• clipboard and checklist
• assorted screwdrivers
• awl
• step ladder
• binoculars
• tape measure
• electrical tester
• safety glasses
• dust mask
• camera/ video camera

Questions For Sellers

Some states and cities have disclosure laws requiring sellers to make known any problems in the house that they are aware of. Here are some specific points to ask about.

• Who performed the work on any recent repairs, improvements or remodelling? Were the appropriate building permits obtained and inspections performed?
  
  
• Have there been any leaks in the roof? Has there been a problem with ice dams? How old is the roof?
  
  
• Has there been water in the basement?
  
  
• Has the septic system or sewer line required unusual maintenance?
  
  
• Can you provide copies of heating, electric, and other utility bills?
  
  
• Has an exterminator ever been hired for the property?
  
  
• Has the house been tested for radon?

(Article from Hometime.com)