How to Make Cardboard Cupcake Displays  

December 31st, 2011 Posted in Food & Drink
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How to Make Cardboard Cupcake Displays
By Victoria Sweeney
How to Make Cardboard Cupcake Displaysthumbnail Beautifully decorated cupcakes deserve to be shown off in style.

Wire or china cupcake trees are beautiful and festive, but they’re also expensive and awkward to store. With a few craft supplies, create a tiered cardboard cupcake display trimmed to perfectly match your party decorations or table linens. Use this same sort of display in different sizes to set out tea sandwiches, brownies, even hot and cold hors d’oeuvres.
Topic To Make Cardboard Cupcake Displays:

  • Clear Plastic Glasses
  • Cupcake Cake Stand

To Make Cardboard Cupcake Displays Difficulty:

  • Easy

To Make Cardboard Cupcake Displays You’ll Need:

  • 3 pairs of cardboard cake rounds in progressively larger diameters
  • 4-inch-by-3-inch plastic foam column
  • Hot glue gun
  • 2 soup cans
  • Colored paper
  • Ribbon
  • Scissors

To Make Cardboard Cupcake Displays Instructions:

  • Glue each pair of cake rounds together back-to-back so that the finished side is out on both sides.
  • Cut three pieces of paper about 4 inches tall by 10 inches wide. Wrap the pieces of paper around both cans and the plastic foam column and glue them in place.
  • Center the largest cardboard disk over the plastic foam column and glue it down onto the top of the column. Let the glue cool and set for several minutes.
  • Apply a fat drop of glue to the bottom of one of the covered soup cans and set it down on the center of the large cardboard disk. Use enough glue to bridge the space between the can bottom and the lip but not so much that it will squish out the sides. Let the glue cool and set for several minutes.
  • Apply a fat drop of glue to the top of the soup can sitting on the largest disk and set the next-largest disk centered on top of it. Use enough glue to bridge the space between the can top and the lip but not so much that it will squish out the sides. Let the glue cool and set for several minutes.
  • Glue the second soup can and smallest cardboard disk onto the tower, following the same process.
  • Cut a piece of ribbon long enough to wrap around the largest disk and 1 inch longer for overlap. Run a bead of hot glue around the outside of the disk and press the ribbon in place onto the glue, being careful to keep the edge of the ribbon even with the top of the disk. Repeat this process with the other two disks.
To Make Cardboard Cupcake Displays Tips:
  • Line up the seams where the paper and ribbons overlap so that you can set it up so that the side presented to your guests is smooth and perfect.
To Make Cardboard Cupcake Displays Warnings:
  • Before you start work, check that the ribbon doesn’t melt with the heat of the glue by adding a drop of hot glue on a snip of ribbon.
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How to Make a Cupcake Stand With Champagne Glasses  

December 31st, 2011 Posted in Food & Drink
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How to Make a Cupcake Stand With Champagne Glasses
By Mark S. Baker
How to Make a Cupcake Stand With Champagne Glassesthumbnail Cupcake stands can be used for display purposes, such as retail or as table centerpieces.

The popularity of cupcakes has led to them making appearances at weddings along with or even in place of traditional wedding cakes. The cupcakes can be set up in a central location or can be used as a centerpiece for each guest table. Many brides opt for a homey touch to these cupcake centerpieces by creating them out of regular household items, such as plates, cups and candlesticks. You can use champagne glasses to create elegant cupcake stand centerpieces for your wedding reception, bridal shower or other event.
Topic To Make a Cupcake Stand With Champagne Glasses:

  • Cake Stands
  • Wedding Cupcake Tree

To Make a Cupcake Stand With Champagne Glasses Difficulty:

  • Moderately Easy

To Make a Cupcake Stand With Champagne Glasses You’ll Need:

  • Paper doilies
  • Scissors
  • Clear or white plates
  • Rubber cement
  • Ribbons or other decorations.

To Make a Cupcake Stand With Champagne Glasses Instructions:

  • Place the rim of a champagne glass on the center of a paper doily. Lightly trace around the rim with a pencil. Use scissors to cut the center out of the paper doily. Repeat for as many paper doilies as you will need for cupcake centerpieces — two per table.
  • Place a large clear or white plate in front of you. Line the rim of a champagne glass with rubber cement.
  • Place the rim of the champagne glass in the center of the plate and press down gently. Allow the rubber cement to dry. Place a paper doily over the bottom of the glass so that it rests on top of the plate around the rim of the glass.
  • Take a smaller plate — the same style as the previous plate — and attach a champagne glass in the same manner. Line the bottom of the first champagne glass with rubber cement and press together with the second plate. Place a doily around the second champagne glass and plate.
  • Line the bottom of the second champagne glass with rubber cement and place another plate, smaller than the first two, on top of the champagne glass bottom. Allow the rubber cement to dry and place an uncut doily on the top of the plate on top.
  • Decorate the champagne glasses with ribbons or other decorations.
To Make a Cupcake Stand With Champagne Glasses Tips:
  • If the champagne glasses seem fragile, only build two-tier cupcake stands as opposed to three tiers.
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How to Sew a Sausage Pillowcase  

December 31st, 2011 Posted in Food & Drink
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How to Sew a Sausage Pillowcase
By Mary Wroblewski
How to Sew a Sausage Pillowcasethumbnail Warm up to your own sausage pillowcase.

You may have made pillowcases before, but until you’ve made a sausage pillowcase, you probably have no idea how much fun the process can be. So named because you roll the fabric like a sausage before you sew it, sausage pillowcases are made with a contrasting “cuff” so be sure to choose two contrasting fabrics for the main pieces. Make one sausage pillowcase and you’ll want to make a dozen – all in your favorite prints for home or as special gifts.

Topic To Sew a Sausage Pillowcase:

  • Sewing Fabric
  • Sew Tissue Box Cover

To Sew a Sausage Pillowcase Difficulty:

  • Moderately Easy

To Sew a Sausage Pillowcase You’ll Need:

  • 2 pieces of fabric: 27-by-45 inches and a contrasting 9-by-45-inch-piece
  • Straight pins
  • Scissors

To Sew a Sausage Pillowcase Instructions:

  • Lay the cuff piece face up on a flat surface. Place the main piece on top, with the right side facing you. The right side of the cuff should face the wrong side of the main piece. Pin the long edges together.
  • Roll up the main piece of fabric, like a sausage. Stop rolling when about 3 inches of the cuff piece becomes visible.
  • Take the bottom edge of the cuff piece and fold it up to the pinned edge. Pin all of the raw edges together, making sure all of the edges meet.
  • Stitch along the long pinned edge using a 1/4-inch seam. At this point, the project will again resemble a sausage, and you will sew the seam so that it will be invisible when you’re done.
  • Turn the sausage roll inside out, being careful not to rip the fabric.
  • Lay the piece flat and turn the right sides together. Pin and sew the side and bottom seams using a 1/4-inch seam.
  • If you can sew a straight seam, then you can sew a sausage pillowcase.
  • Turn the pillowcase right-side out and admire your clever new sausage pillowcase.
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How to Set Up & Serve at a Wine Pairing Event  

December 31st, 2011 Posted in Food & Drink
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How to Set Up & Serve at a Wine Pairing Event
By Brian Connolly
How to Set Up & Serve at a Wine Pairing Eventthumbnail Wine pairings offer a way to learn more about combining different foods and wines.

Wine pairing events offer a fun, educational approach to the standard wine tasting. While some events focus on pairing wine samples with specific cheeses, more elaborate tastings may involve a variety of side dishes, desserts and h’ors d’ouevres. Wine to Water, a nonprofit organization that hosts wine tasting events to raise money for clean water, recommends setting up an entrance area where guests can sign in and create name tags to help encourage conversation. Depending on your venue, you may either arrange each wine station next to its paired food dish or assign numbers to help guide guests to the appropriate pairings.

Topic To Set Up & Serve at a Wine Pairing Event:

  • Party Food
  • Food Software

To Set Up & Serve at a Wine Pairing Event Difficulty:

  • Moderate

To Set Up & Serve at a Wine Pairing Event You’ll Need:

  • Tables
  • Table cloth or confetti
  • Plastic wine cups, plates and cutlery
  • Stools
  • Nametags and sharpie pens
  • Stereo or sound system
  • Wines
  • Food pairings
  • Recycling bins

To Set Up & Serve at a Wine Pairing Event Instructions:

  • Set up your wine and food stations in the desired areas by putting tables around the room. Decorate each table with a cloth and confetti as desired, and put wine and food crates nearby for easy access. Provide plenty of recyclable plastic wine cups, plates and cutlery to prevent delays between servings, and arrange stools for your servers to sit during intervals.
  • Designate a welcome station that is staffed with at least two people to check IDs as your guests arrive. Provide nametags and sharpie pens so that each guest can sign their name and wear a tag as they enter.
  • Turn on the house sound system or a portable stereo to provide light house music for the wine pairing. Make sure all musicians and performers are in place and ready to perform when the doors open.
  • Pair each wine with a specific type of dish that accommodates the palette. Assign sharp cheddar cheeses to complementary wines such as Cabernet, Rioja and Sauvignon Blanc, while pairing brie cheeses with Champagne or Sweet Sherry. Chicken and fish dishes can be paired with Merlot wines, and chocolates and other sweets should be combined with dessert wines such as Banyuls.
  • Instruct each wine server to pour roughly two ounces of wine per person, with no more than two samplings of each wine per guest. Introduce your servers to each wine and inform them on the specific qualities of the grape, flavor and suggested pairings. Cheese, dessert and h’ors d’ouerve servers should provide one to three samples per guest. Put a recycling bin next to each wine or food station so that bottles and packages can be periodically removed as needed.
To Set Up & Serve at a Wine Pairing Event Tips:
  • Check your local police office for information about specific laws and regulations for serving alcohol in your state. Depending on your state’s requirements, you may need to submit a detailed application to your local Alcoholic Beverage Committee within a certain time frame of your event.
To Set Up & Serve at a Wine Pairing Event Warnings:
  • Alcohol can be severely debilitating when taken in excess. Make sure your servers know when to limit a taster’s consumption, and have a bouncer or security guard in the building at all times.
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How to Coordinate a Vodka Tasting Event  

December 31st, 2011 Posted in Food & Drink
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How to Coordinate a Vodka Tasting Event
By Mark S. Baker
How to Coordinate a Vodka Tasting Eventthumbnail Vodkas are distilled from a number of different products, including potatoes, wheat and corn.

Coming up with a theme for a cocktail party can be difficult. Most cocktail parties either have no theme or have a theme that seems straight out of the 1970s, such as playing board games or charades. A theme that involves all of your guests will be much more popular, such as hosting a vodka-tasting party. There have been a number of new brands of vodkas that have hit the liquor store shelves in recent years, many of them flavored. A vodka-tasting party gives your guests a chance to sample these new vodkas and decide which ones they like and don’t like, without the expense of buying them on their own.

Topic To Coordinate a Vodka Tasting Event:

  • Food Buffet
  • Dinner Party

To Coordinate a Vodka Tasting Event Difficulty:

  • Moderately Easy

To Coordinate a Vodka Tasting Event You’ll Need:

  • Vodka
  • Glass decanters
  • Disposable cups
  • Taste-test forms
  • Pencils or pens
  • Appetizers
  • Bottled water
  • Containers

To Coordinate a Vodka Tasting Event Instructions:

  • Choose a number of different vodkas for your tasting event. Choose between moderately priced and expensive vodkas, as well as different flavored vodkas. Allow for approximately 15 servings in every 750-milliliter bottle of vodka, and make sure that you have enough variety for your guests to be able to sample each vodka at least once.
  • Decant the vodka into glass pitchers and place the pitchers into the refrigerator to chill for about an hour prior to the event. Because some brands of vodka are packaged in instantly recognizable bottle, decanting the vodka keeps the vodka’s identity hidden. Keep a list of which vodkas are in which pitchers.
  • Print up tasting forms for your guests to fill out. Label each one with a letter or number that correspond to what section the vodka samples will be in when set out. Create categories such as taste, mouth feel, appearance and aftertaste. Set up a scoring system, such as “1″ for a poor score and “5″ for a very high score.
  • Arrange a table to set up disposable cups filled with a shot of vodka — 1 1/2 ounces. Set the cups in rows or sections for each individual vodka. Label each row or section with a number or letter that corresponds with tasting forms that your guests will fill out, and with your own list of the vodkas. Place the taste-test forms, with a number of pencils or pens, in front of each section.
  • Make appetizers available for your guests to snack on before, during and after the tasting. Choose mild-flavored appetizers with limited seasonings, such as chips and dips, so the flavors do not impede on the flavors of the vodka.
  • Have plenty of bottled water on hand for your guests to cleanse their palates with between tastings. Consider setting up containers for guests to spit out vodka to keep your guests from becoming too drunk.
  • Add up the scores from your guests’ forms according to your list, and declare a taste-test winner.
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How to Overcome Constant Snacking  

December 31st, 2011 Posted in Healthy Living
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How to Overcome Constant Snacking
By Jason Cooley
How to Overcome Constant Snackingthumbnail The snacking habit can be broken.

A solid diet and exercise routine can be defeated by over-snacking. While it can take an hour to burn off 500 calories, you can easily consume those 500 calories from one 10-minute snack. The urge to snack is usually something that is unplanned and can suddenly put you over your daily calorie intake. Not only does snack food taste good, but because it’s cheap and easy to prepare, it’s more likely to be available. Every successful diet needs to have a solid anti-snacking plan in effect to keep you on track and away from temptation.
Topic To Overcome Constant Snacking:

  • Healthy Snack
  • Protein Diet

To Overcome Constant Snacking Difficulty:

  • Moderate

To Overcome Constant Snacking You’ll Need:

  • None

To Overcome Constant Snacking Instructions:

  • Don’t purchase snack foods. They are already prepared and easy to take along, making them readily available in a moment of weakness. You are much less likely to snack on food that you have to cook.
  • Eat well-balanced meals consisting of a serving of carbohydrates, a serving of protein and a vegetable. Carbohydrates digest quickly and give your body quick energy for the day. Neglecting to eat carbohydrates creates energy deficits. Your body fights these deficits by making you feel hungry, causing you to seek more food for energy. Protein takes longer to digest than carbohydrates, so it makes you feel full longer. Vegetables contain fiber that expands in your stomach to make you feel full.
  • Eat at least three well-balanced meals a day on a consistent daily schedule. This gets your body into a rhythm. It “knows” when you will receive nourishment again, so it doesn’t panic and send food cravings to your stomach that cause you to feel the need to snack. Eating six small meals a day is ideal because it keeps your metabolism going and gives you a steady flow of nutrients. For many, though, this may be impractical.
  • Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Many foods contain water, so your appetite is often a sign that your body is trying to get water through your diet. Water is also essential for fiber to make you feel full. When the fiber you eat has enough water to accommodate it, the fiber expands and takes up more room in your stomach.
  • Chew sugar-free gum when you get a craving. The constant chewing satisfies your urge to eat without having to consume any food.
  • Brush your teeth when you feel like snacking. A minty, fresh mouth doesn’t combine well with most snack foods. The snack will not taste good, which makes it easy to put the food down and walk away.
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How to Keep Basil From Getting Burned in the Sun  

December 30th, 2011 Posted in Healthy Living
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How to Keep Basil From Getting Burned in the Sun
By Kathryn Rateliff Barr
How to Keep Basil From Getting Burned in the Sunthumbnail Bruise a fresh basil leaf, and the aroma reminds you of lasagna.

The smell of basil brings to mind the flavors found in many Italian foods and egg and meat dishes. Some cooks prefer fresh basil to the dried herb found in most grocery stories. This mint cousin thrives in temperate climates and loves six to eight hours of full sun each day. In the hottest part of the summer, there are various ways to protect this hardy herb from heat damage.
Topic To Keep Basil From Getting Burned in the Sun:

  • Plant Tree
  • Basil

To Keep Basil From Getting Burned in the Sun Difficulty:

  • Moderate

To Keep Basil From Getting Burned in the Sun You’ll Need:

  • None

To Keep Basil From Getting Burned in the Sun Instructions:

  • Good Preparation – Protect your plant by preparing the herb garden before you plant the basil. A week before transplanting, turn the soil well and mix in plenty of nutritious compost. On the day of planting, sprinkle a moisture-retaining polymer soil additive into the planting hole before inserting the plant roots and covering the plant base with topsoil. The polymer reduces the amount of water you need to keep your herbs from burning in the sun. Pack compost and mulch around the plant to keep the roots moist, allowing the plant to continue to thrive in the heat.
  • Thirsty Plants – Think ahead to the hot summer months when you lay out your garden to protect your plants from burning. Snake a flat soaker hose through the area around your newly planted basil plants. Cover the hose and the dirt around each plant with shredded newspaper, and water the entire area until the newspaper is soaked. Keep water trickling through the hose when daytime temperatures remain in the mid-90s or higher. The newspaper reduces the evaporation rate and deters weeds in addition to keeping the plants from burning in the sun.
  • Container Gardening – One way to keep your basil from burning under the sun is to plant it in a movable container. Set your plants out in a box or pot with at least 6 inches of soil and compost mix. When temperatures spike, put the container in an area that receives shade for part of the day. Remember to water the container every other day because potted plant roots have no access to groundwater. Once the daytime temperatures drop below 95 degrees, move the container back into full sun.
  • Window Gardening – Keep your basil plants in pots that can be moved into the house when the summer temperatures and sun bake your plants. Place the plants in a window where they continue to get plenty of sun but suffer less from the drying heat. When returning the plants to the outdoors, make the move gradual by placing them in partial shade where they will stay cooler. Change their location once each week, placing them closer to full sun with each move. Keep the soil moist with daily watering to reduce the shock from warmer and dryer conditions.
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How to Add Salt to the Wash to Stop Jeans From Bleeding  

December 30th, 2011 Posted in Family Health
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How to Add Salt to the Wash to Stop Jeans From Bleeding
By Jessica Bruso
Adding Salt to the Wash to Stop Jeans From Bleedingthumbnail Dark jeans are more likely to bleed.

When you purchase jeans in a dark wash, the dye sometimes bleeds. This can be a problem, leaving you with faded jeans and staining other clothes in the wash. Some people recommend adding salt to your wash to minimize this problem, but it does not always work.
Topic To Add Salt to the Wash to Stop Jeans From Bleeding:

  • Laundry Washing
  • Wash Clothing

To Add Salt to the Wash to Stop Jeans From Bleeding Difficulty:

  • Moderate

To Add Salt to the Wash to Stop Jeans From Bleeding You’ll Need:

  • None

To Add Salt to the Wash to Stop Jeans From Bleeding Instructions:

  • Salt and Dye Bleeding – The purpose of adding salt to the wash with brightly colored or dark clothing is to make the dye less soluble. This may help keep the dye from bleeding a lot. However, salt is only potentially useful when washing clothing made from natural fabrics, such as denim and cotton, and has no effect when washing synthetic materials, such as Lycra or polyester. Most jeans are made of either natural fabrics or a combination of natural and synthetic materials.
  • How to Use Salt in Wash – While the water is filling the washing machine, you can add 1 tablespoon of salt to the machine for each brightly colored item in the wash load. Do this each time you wash the jeans, because salt doesn’t permanently affect the colorfastness of dyes in jeans.
  • Other Steps to Minimize Bleeding – Adding vinegar to your wash may also help make your jeans less likely to bleed, as can washing them inside out in cold water on the gentle cycle with a mild detergent. Washing your jeans by hand is even better for preserving the color of your jeans and keeping them from fading.
  • Considerations – Many more expensive brands of jeans recommend you limit the number of times you wash them to help them keep their color and shape. This means not washing your jeans every time you wear them. Spot treat any stains, or hang the jeans near the shower to steam clean between washes to minimize stains and odors.
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How to Broil in a Roper Oven  

December 30th, 2011 Posted in Healthy Living
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How to Broil in a Roper Oven
By Kathryn Hatter
Roper Appliances, a division of the Whirlpool Corporation, makes an electric range for home use. The range comes in a white color and provides cooktop and oven cooking with baking and broiling oven settings. The Roper oven’s broiling capabilities enable the standard broiling of steaks, hamburgers, chicken breasts, fish and pork chops, as well as vegetables such as zucchini, squash, peppers, potatoes and eggplant.
Topic To Broil in a Roper Oven:

  • Double Oven
  • Outdoor Oven

To Broil in a Roper Oven Difficulty:

  • Moderate

To Broil in a Roper Oven You’ll Need:

  • None

To Broil in a Roper Oven Instructions:

  • Preparation – Place the oven rack into position then turn on the oven. Position one rack into the “rack 4” position (the second position from the top). This will enable effective broiling for meats or vegetables. Another rack can be in position in the “rack 2” position (the second position from the bottom). However, this rack can’t be used for broiling because it is too far away from the heat source.
  • Controls – Turn the oven control knob from the “off” position to “broil lo” to broil food at a low temperature, or “broil hi” to broil food at a high temperature. The “oven heating” light will illuminate. It is not necessary to preheat the oven.
  • Broiling – Place the food in a single layer in a broiling pan. Center the broiling pan on the top rack and beneath the heat source at the top of the oven. Close the oven door. Check the food frequently throughout the broiling process. If the recipe recommends turning the food midway through the broiling process, remove the broiling pan from the oven, use tongs to turn the food over, and return the broiling pan to the oven. Remove the broiling pan from the oven when you finish broiling and turn the oven control knob to the “off” position.
  • Cleaning – Allow the oven to cool completely, then wipe any spills that occur inside the oven. Use a plastic scrubbing pad and a gentle abrasive, such as baking soda, to scrub any baked-on food from the interior oven surfaces. Remove oven racks and, if necessary, scrub them clean with steel wool pads.
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How to Groove Marble  

December 30th, 2011 Posted in Healthy Living
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How to Groove Marble
By Leslie Rose
How to Groove Marblethumbnail Marble is relatively easy to scratch and groove.

Marble carving is a longstanding tradition in the world of art. Sculptors have been carving marble for many centuries. Compared with harder surfaces like granite, marble is easily scratched and grooved. In addition, because marble carving has been around for centuries, all the tools for doing so in a controlled way are available at art and craft supply stores.
Topic To Groove Marble:

  • Marble Tile Cleaning
  • Soapstone Carving

To Groove Marble Difficulty:

  • Moderate

To Groove Marble You’ll Need:

  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Tape
  • Point chisel
  • Tooth chisel
  • Hammer
  • Sandpaper 100 grade and up

To Groove Marble Instructions:

  • Mark the area of the marble that you’d like to groove with a pencil. If you wish to make a straight groove, tape a steel ruler to the surface of the marble, flush with the line you made.
  • Place the tip of the point chisel on the end of the line farthest from you and pull the point toward you. Apply a little pressure to the tip and score a very light line along the pencil mark you made.
  • Place the tip of the point chisel at the end of the line closest to you. Position the point chisel at a 45 degree angle to the marble, with the hilt of the chisel closest to you and the point of the chisel pointing away from you. Hit the end of the chisel with a hammer. Continue to hit the end of the chisel, driving the point along the line you scored. Do this until the point of the chisel has reached the opposite end of the line you scored.
  • Place the tip of a tooth chisel, with a tip as wide as the groove you’d like to cut, at the end of the groove. Position the tooth chisel at a 45 degree angle to the marble and hit the end with the hammer. Drive the point of the chisel along the groove until it reaches the other end.
  • Repeat until the groove reaches your desired depth.
  • Choose a narrow rasp that fits in the groove. Insert the tip of the rasp in the groove and run it back and forth over the marble, softening and sanding the surface.
  • Sand your groove with 100 grade marble sandpaper. Switch to progressively finer sandpapers and continue to sand the groove until it is as soft and smooth as desired. The finer sandpapers will be indicated with higher numbers of sandpaper. These numbers go all the way to 3000.
To Groove Marble Tips:
  • If your grill’s porcelain-coated grate contains any rusty spots, scrub the spots with a scrub pad to remove the rust and then coat the grate with unsalted olive or vegetable oil to keep it from rusting again.
To Groove Marble Warnings:
  • Never burn lead-painted wood. Burning the wood produces toxic lead fumes.
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