How much fun are these adjustable denim KitchenKuffs!!

There are several statements that take place in our house over and over again:

• Pick up your dirty clothes
• Chew with your mouth closed
• Throw away your trash

And my all-time least favorite:

• Can someone come push up my sleeves?!?! PLEASE!?!?

Well, Kate, bar the door, those days are gone. May I present:

KitchenKuffs!!!

That’s right, people. It’s time to say goodbye to soggy sleeves!

The brainchild of Barbara Doran, KitchenKuffs mean you’ll never have suds-soaked cuffs (or anything else, for that matter) on your long-sleeved tops EVER AGAIN! I was so impressed when I first saw this product that I contacted Barbara. She gave me a pair of regular and a pair of adjustable KitchenKuffs to review for you guys. I’ve had ample opportunity to try them, and as far as I’m concerned, they are a must-have in every kitchen, bath, basement and garage. I’ve used them while cooking dinner, washing dishes, painting a bookcase and potting flowers. They go on with total ease, and stay right where you put them.

Here’s a video from Barbara showing the myriad of ways she’s put her KitchenKuffs to good use:

To me, this is true American ingenuity – entrepreneurship at its finest! The product has even caught the eye of Martha Stewart’s Dreamers into Doers, where Barbara was recently featured as Doer of the Week.

Shown here are the denim KitchenKuffs (adjustable) and the pepper pattern regular KitchenKuffs

I highly recommend that you pick up a pair and give them a try. They’re machine-washable cotton, made here in the USA, very affordable, and come in a variety of patterns in the regular and adjustable KitchenKuffs. I think these will make great gifts for teachers, gardeners, moms and sisters, dads and brothers – anyone who needs to “Keep their sleeves up!” And at a time when many families are pinching pennies more than ever, KitchenKuffs are a unique and thoughtful gift they’ll use time after time, without having to break the bank!

I love ‘em, Barbara – I know our readers will, too.

-Liz

Visit www.kitchenkuffs.com for a patterns, pricing and sizing.

Related articles

• Lining Up Yer Linens (alidoesit.wordpress.com)
• Interview with Barbara Doran – Inventor of the KitchenKuffs (theworkathomewoman.com)
• Raising a Foodie? (thedailymeal.com)

And yet, it is one of the most important holidays of all, because instead of focusing on material things and “stuff to buy”,  we can spend this time focusing on family, gratitude and thankfulness…the things which are truly important in life.

For the next few weeks, I’m going to share with you some fun ideas, tips and recipes to help celebrate this most wonderful Thanksgiving season.

Today’s idea:

A Thanksgiving Gratitude Tablecloth

This is an easy and inexpensive way to  start a Thanksgiving tradition in your home.  All it takes is an inexpensive, washable, light-colored cloth tablecloth and some permanent fabric markers, which can be bought at any craft or fabric store.

On Thanksgiving Day, before  your family sits down for the Thanksgiving Feast, spread out the tablecloth and have them gather around the table.  Ask each family member to think about 3 things that they are thankful for this year. Have them write on the tablecloth these three things, along with their names and the year.  The idea is to help your family (and yourself) focus on the things they are thankful for.  As you bring the tablecloth out each year it will bring back many happy memories as the family reads and reminisces over what they wrote in previous years. This memory tablecloth is a simple, yet meaningful,  Thanksgiving tradition.

Perhaps the feeling of gratitude can be best summed up by this quote…

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
– Melody Beattie

~Kate

Enjoy your Coffee Break!

*Enter a comment at the bottom of this or any other post, and be automatically entered in this week’s giveaway!

Enter exhibit A. The coupon drawer. (You know you have one, too. Admit it. It will make you feel better.)

Oh, sure, I’ve tried those little pouches with a slot for all the dairy and all the frozen and all the meats and all the beverages. But the fact of the matter is, I still had no clue what coupons I possessed. Just because all dairy was in one slot, that cute little coupon organizer wasn’t helping my cause at all. And nine times out of 10, by the time I found that coupon that had been hiding from me, it was expired. Trust me. It’s easy to develop a hate-hate relationship with coupons.

Well, people, I’ve outdone myself on this one. I’ve come up with the B.E.S.T possible way to organize (one of the) biggest messes in my kitchen. A three-ring binder with clear business card or baseball card sheet protectors! (For those of you who’ve been utilizing this method for years, is it too much to ask you to give me a little moment in the sun, here?!?)

Time to check out my masterpiece! Can you stand it? Each little coupon gets its own spot, and is placed into a broad category:

• Produce
• Dairy
• Canned and packaged goods
• Meats
• Snacks
• Drinks
• Dairy
• Bakery
• Deli
• Cleaning products
• Personal hygiene
• Paper products
• Office supplies

This brainchild actually came from my friend Summer, so credit where credit is due. But I decided to take it to a whole new level. I’ve also inserted some full-sheet size protectors in the back to house take-out menus, and another protector to keep rebate offers, sales receipts and UPC codes.

But wait! There’s more! (This is where I wish we had a video blog here on Coffee Break…) You know those little pockets on the inside of the binder? Guess what goes in there? That’s right! Your SHOPPING LIST!

I am a genius I tell you. (Whatever. It’s Monday. Let’s just roll with it.) Total cost? $4.80 – $3.88 for the sheet protectors and .92 cents for the el-cheapo binder (find ‘em everywhere that offers a wide selection of school supplies – better yet, use an empty binder you already have on hand). Cost to regain my shopping sanity? Priceless, of course.

And while we’re on a roll, I thought I’d also give you my Coupon Commandments. Do with them as you will.

• If you see a coupon for a product you don’t like, don’t bother clipping it. Saving money on it will probably not make you like it anymore than you did before.
• If a coupon is for an item you usually don’t purchase, think long and hard before clipping and allowing it to take up space.
• Instead of clipping every coupon, refer to your new binder for coupons you already have. That way you won’t be stuck with seven coupons for bleach that all expire at the same time.
• If a coupon for toothpaste expires in a month and you just bought a case of toothpaste, chances are you aren’t going to use that coupon before it expires. So why waste time and space?
• Pay attention to out-dates on existing coupons as you clip. While you may want more than one coupon for certain products, if you can’t use more than one by the time it expires, don’t bother with it.
• If you use generic brands, and have a coupon for the name brand, make sure the coupon will actually save you more money versus buying the generic you always use.

Whew! Who can stand all this fun mixed in with a little bit of common sense? Now all I have to do is figure out how to put a cute little cover on this white binder! But that’s another post, entirely.

-Liz Follow @lizrants

This week, we’re featuring five crafts or edible ideas so let’s get to it!

• Susan’s Chicken Tacos
• Holiday Wassail
• Candy Crackers
• Pine Crafts
• Bowls made from vinyl records

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My cousin Susan has been quite an asset to our craftdown. This week, she sent in a recipe that sounds great for those busy holiday nights. It’s perfect for the family, or a dinner party:

Susan’s Chicken Tacos

1 cup frozen corn

15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

16-ounce jar mild salsa

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 1 1/2 pounds)

Place first 3 ingredients in a slow cooker and stir to combine.  Arrange chicken on top.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.  Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with a fork.  Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir to combine.

Serve over rice, in warm tortillas, or with tortilla chips with some of the following garnishes:

• Sour cream
• Shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese
• Salsa
• Chopped green onions
• Chopped red, yellow, and green peppers
• Sliced avocados or prepared guacamole
• Shredded lettuce
• Chopped tomatoes
• Sliced black olives
• Sliced jalapenos
• Hot sauce

Set up buffet-style and let everyone create his or her own meal.

Leftovers freeze well. Serves 8-10.

When Susan sent this recipe, she also asked for a long-time favorite drink recipe. No dinner would be complete without a beverage, so here’s a little holiday cheer:

Holiday Wassail

1 c. fresh lemon juice

2 c. fresh, frozen concentrate, or packaged orange juice

2 c. unsweet pineapple juice

½ gallon apple cider

1 t. whole cloves

1 stick cinnamon

¼ c. sugar

Pour all juices into large pot or crockpot. Place cloves and cinnamon in cotton or cheesecloth bag and add to juices.

Bring to a simmering boil over medium heat. Cover and simmer one hour. Dissolve sugar in hot wassail before removing from heat. For an extra kick, add one pint of Apple Jack or hard cider. (Don’t boil after liquor is added) Makes about 4 quarts. Reheats nicely, assuming it lasts…

Let’s finish off the meal with a treat for your sweet tooth, Candy Crackers submitted by reader, Karen Smith-Morganti.

CANDY CRACKERS

2-3 sleeves of Club Crackers (regular or whole wheat, your choice)

1 ½ cup granulated sugar

2 sticks butter

3 tbsp. white corn syrup

2 tsp good vanilla

1 large package fresh Pecans – (chopped or pieces, your choice)

Line jelly roll pan with non-stick foil.  Spray foil with non-stick spray (just in case).   Spread out your crackers evenly, covering the bottom of the jelly roll pan (you may have to break a few crackers here and there).

Combine first 3 ingredients (sugar, butter and corn syrup) in sauce pan and bring to a boil.

Pull from heat and add vanilla.  Stir.

Pour over crackers and spread as evenly as possible.  Quickly sprinkle on pecans.

Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  Let cool and break apart.  Store tightly covered.

No need to calorie count or watch fat.  They’re too good for anyone to care!

I don’t know what’s overcome me, but I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time creating over the past week. Saturday, I decided I needed a wreath for the front door, but didn’t want to pay for one. So I dusted off one of those wreaths made of twigs and set out in search of decorations.

Pine Crafts

After a good deal of time searching in vain for something to put on it, I happened to glance out the window. To the pine trees. Eureka!

Pruners in hand, I scalped several branches and turned to come back inside – until I noticed a bush underneath my daughter’s bedroom window, loaded with clusters of red berries. Enter the pruning shears – again.

I don’t own a glue gun, so I decided to just weave the pine branches and berries into the twig wreath and hope for the best. So far, so good. I’d gone a little crazy with my pruning, so I started looking around for other uses for the leftover berries and branches. Next thing I knew, I’d created four more Christmas decorations – and it didn’t cost me a penny. Hooray for me.

And now for the grand finale…so easy you won’t believe it!

Vinyl Record Album Bowl

I ran across this nifty retro idea that looks like the perfect thing to make for one of my brothers. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Vinyl record album (available at most thrift stores)
• Oven
• Bowl

Heat the oven to 200 to 250 degrees. Invert an oven-proof bowl of choice and place on a cookie sheet. Place album on top of bowl and bake for 5-8 minutes. The album will begin to warp over the bowl, making it pliable for shaping.  Once it gets good and warpy, remove from oven and work quickly to shape it to the bowl. The album will be warm, but  you’ll be able to use your bare hands on it.

There are two ways to do this. If you shape the album around the outside of the bowl, you’ll get a larger interior.

You can also flip the bowl upright, push the album into the bowl, and shape that way. Albums are so cheap that you can try several of them. I couldn’t really find a way to screw this one up, so I think however you do it will be fine.

That’s it! Can you say simple? The bowl is perfect for fruit, candy, whatever your heart desires.

And I think it’ll be the perfect fit for Vespa Lexington’s show room.

Old albums can also be made into wall clocks, by simply adding a clock kit (you really only need the hands, but could likely come up with cool ways to add the numbers around the perimeter). I may try a clock, too. I think the kits are less than five bucks.

Okay kids, that’s it for week five. Hope you enjoy the delicious recipes from today’s craftdown.

~Liz & Kate

Enjoy your Coffee Break

Needless to say, I was quite confident that this one-stop treatment would once again work in a matter of two or three days, and I could get on with finding other reasons to stay out of the kitchen.  I was right – at least for about  three weeks. Not the first ant could be found anywhere.

Until about a week ago, when I came home to find what appeared to be even more ants than had initially invaded. So out came the cinnamon again. I followed it up with some store-bought traps, placing two of them in the corner of the counters. And since that time, the ants have appeared to have multiplied yet again, causing me to believe that said traps were actually little ant condos, and probably included an ant-size kitchen (in which to cook any food they’re stealing from me) and little ant-king-sized beds to pass out on when their bellies are full…

So I attacked what looks to be one of their entrances with more cinnamon, showing no mercy as I sprinkled it on the counter, only to wake up and see what I expect is the equivalent of two or three  armies of ants, marching through my kitchen. Yep, they’re even marching one by one, in a nice little line. What they don’t know is that I’m a warrior, too. And quite frankly, I should have known not to attempt reason with an enemy that can’t be reasoned with. It’s time to pull out the heavy artilliary – the big guns. I’m getting a can of Raid…

-Liz

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Needless to say, yesterday was one of those days. As much as I hate to admit this, I have the process of procrastination down to a science, evidenced by the day’s accomplishments (or lack thereof…).

So without further ado, I bring you my Top 10 ways to procrastinate: (Reader warning: don’t try this at home.)

Step 1:  Denial. If you deny the fact that your work has to be completed right this second, you can easily talk yourself into incorporating the next nine steps.

Step 2: Surf emails, Facebook and that one networking site you’ve been meaning to join. Take, for example,  LinkedIn. Joining such a site is clearly beneficial. It’s a great way to network for your business.  This whole process should take at least a couple of hours. After joining, of course you’ll want to locate others you may know, do some networking and invite friends to join you as well.

Step 3: Spend excess time in the shower, applying make-up or drying your hair. If you’re a man, after shaving, hit the mirror every few minutes. When procrastinating, it’s much easier to grow that 5 o’clock shadow by 9 a.m.

Step 4: Look around and declare your living quarters a “disaster area.” Exclaim aloud that no one would be able to think clearly in the midst of such a mess – and if you aren’t thinking clearly, how can you possibly be expected to do your best work?

Step 5: Realize you’re hungry. Search desperately for food. Find nothing that sounds good and begin your shopping list. Lord knows you can’t produce when you’re hungry.

Step 6: Linger in the fresh produce aisle at the store. Ask the clerk for the best way to pick a fresh cantaloupe. You may consider consulting the butcher, too, as long as you’re there. Ask them to select cut your meats.

Step 7: Realize if you’re going to cook, you’ll need to fire up the grill. Uh-oh. Propane tank is empty. What choice do you have but to return to the store? While at home picking up the propane tank, check emails and Facebook. Accept the new friend requests or search for new friends to add.

Step 9: Create a list to assist others who find themselves procrastinating. If you’re going to procrastinate, you might as well do it right.

Step 10: Your day should pretty much be shot at this point. In fact, it could be late evening if you worked this right. Grab a glass of wine, a cold beer or Kate’s kickin’ Brazilian drink and let the guilt begin to consume you. Because if you’ve truly and effectively procrastinated, guilt is the next logical – and perhaps deserved – step.

-Liz

Moms do some crazy stuff.

Stuff that, in retrospect, we can’t believe we did. Stuff that non-moms would never understand, and certainly would never do themselves. Stuff we would only tell other moms who we think might do the same kind of stuff that we’ve done.

And let me tell you, over the years, I’ve been told A LOT of stuff!

Maybe it’s because I have the wearied look of a mom that’s been through it all. Maybe it’s because I have 7 kids, with the first 5 only being 5 years apart in age. Maybe it’s because I once walked in to church on Sunday with with my slippers still on my feet. Maybe it’s because I generally call two or three kids names before I stumble upon the right one.

Whatever the reason, people seem to like come to me for mom confessionals.

Case in point: a few days ago I found out that a young mom that I know recently made the 11 hour drive from Utah to CA. with her 3 small children, sans (that means without) husband. (Side note here, ever since I recently became Facebook friends with my high school French teacher, random French words keep popping into my mind. Étrange, n’est pas?)

So this young mom happens to have a four year old daughter and boy/girl twins that are barely two. Having traveled with a whole passel of small children myself, and having had a set of twins, a whole slew of questions came to mind when I talked with her, like…Are you insane, woman? …  How deep were the cracker crumbs on your car seats upon arrival? … How many hours of kids songs can one woman sing without going bonkers? …and the real biggie question … How many times did you have to stop for potty breaks? and What did you do with the kids when YOU had to go to the bathroom?

Think about it. One adult woman, three small children, and one tiny rest stop bathroom stall! How is that even done?

Leave it to a desperate mom to think outside the box and come up with a crazy mom solution to a crazy mom problem. She took the 2 year old twins potty training seat in the van on the trip. Not for the twins…but for her and the four year old.

Yep, you read that right. She used the potty seat!

Nature would call, and she would pull over and use the little foot high potty seat in the back of the van. Ingenious, I say! Simply INGENIOUS! (Also impressive is the fact that she is agile enough to…well, you know.) I can’t believe I never thought of that myself. All those kids, all those trip, and the potty seat trick never even crossed my mind.

Do you have a mom (or dad) confession you’d like to leave for moi? Come on, I know you’ve done some crazy stuff, too! Please share, and if you prefer, you can remain anonymous. Just type in any old fake name.

I also found a sight called True Mom Confessions that you might find interesting.

For more funny stories…

The Meanest Mom

khaos becomes her

~Kate

Groundhog Day has been around for more than a century. Who knew a groundhog could live to be that old – or be this famous? Take a look at a few of Phil’s other antics, courtesy of The Official Website of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club:

During Prohibition, Phil threatened to impose 60 weeks of winter on the community if he wasn’t allowed a drink.

In 1981 Phil wore a yellow ribbon in honor of the American hostages in Iran.

Phil traveled to Washington DC in 1986 to meet with President Reagan. He was joined by Groundhog Club President Jim Means, Al Anthony and Bill Null.

Phil appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show in 1995.

In 2001, Phil’s prediction was shown live on the JumboTron at Times Square in New York City.

Let’s face it – it’s not every day when a groundhog can gain such notoriety. Heck, the little furball even has a movie named after him!

I would be remiss if I failed to list a couple of this week’s other holidays. For example, there’s Hula in the Coola Day and Work Naked Day on Feb. 1. But I think we can see where that one’s going… and Heaven forbid the two are combined…

Oh – there’s also Quacker Day on the 4th, and Dump Your Significant Jerk Day on the 6th. I trust that the reasons for keeping our focus on, and celebrating a groundhog are becoming clear.

Until next week, get your party on!

-Liz

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Tip #1: How to use hand sanitizer to get ink off your clothing

If you find yourself with ballpoint pen ink on your shirt, just cover it completely with hand sanitizer and blot with a clean cloth or paper towel. Keep repeating until the stain is removed.  Here’s why it works. The hand sanitizer is made of mostly alcohol so it breaks down the ink.

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Tip #2: How to unshrink a sweater

If your favorite sweater accidentally found it’s way into the dryer and looks more like it would fit your 7 year old daughter, you can use hair conditioner to fix the problem. Just soak the sweater in a sinkful of water with a few dollops of hair conditioner, then gently squeeze out the excess water.  Lay the sweater flat on a towel and gently pull to stretch and reshape it. Let it completely dry.  Here’s why it works. Ingredients in hair conditioner loosen the sweater fibers so they can be expanded, and letting it fully dry sets the fibers into the new shape.

Tip #3: How to unstick a zipper with a pencil

If you have a stuck zipper that just won’t budge, just rub a number two pencil along the length of the zipper to coat it with the lead and make it slippery. Your zipper should be zipping in no time. Here’s why it works. Pencils are made with graphite carbon which acts as a lubricant for the teeth of the zipper.

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Tip #4: How to keep a button from popping off

If you have a button that is loose and about to pop off, just pull the threads in tight and apply clear nail polish to the back of the button so the threads are glued into place. Here’s why it works. the polish acts as a glue.

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Tip #5: How to stop static cling with a hanger

If your clothes are sticking to you because of static cling this winter, try this tip. Just run a metal hanger over your clothes or nylons after you put them on. Here’s why it works. the metal discharges the buildup of static electricity, and prevents static cling.

I find it’s usually something as simple as that, that can set an entire day’s tone if I’m not careful.

This morning held true to form. What began with a forgotten word search (crumbled up in the bottom of the backpack, mind you) continued with the realization that I’d forgotten to put the load of jeans in the dryer the night before.

After a mad dash through the house to locate a “spare pair,” I hit ‘em with some fabric freshener and tossed ‘em in the dryer for good measure, made breakfast and got dressed.

While Colton got dressed, continued his word search and ate his cream of wheat, I headed out to start the car.

With one minute to go, we crammed the word search back into the backpack, headed out the door and loaded into the car.

“Wow, Mother. Can you even see?”

I’d turned on the car’s heater, but forgotten to push the defrost button. Luckily, the windshield was peppered with frost flakes (not to be confused with Tony the Tiger and his Frosted Flakes), so I was able to navigate well enough to see the road. (Don’t try this at home, readers…)

Thankfully, the school is less than half a mile away. Unfortunately, the line was backed up a block or so and none of the cars were moving. I suspected that everyone else was having “one of those days” as well. Almost 10 minutes later, we made it to the drop off lane (although we never quite figured out why the line was moving so slowly).

“Bye, Mother – love you, see you this afternoon!”

“Bye – love you, see you this afternoon – have a great day!”

As I drove off the school property, I noticed that my windshield had finally thawed out. The sun was coming up without a cloud in the sky.

It was just one of those days. And I didn’t mind it a bit.

-Liz