Cascade redemption

Cascade gel detergent with Dawn has been redeemed! 

Their customer service department responded quickly to my e-mail with an explanation of what went wrong (temperatures were too low during shipping) and instructions on how to restore the liquidity of my detergent (see below). Plus, they are sending me a coupon for a free bottle of Cascade in the mail (a pleasing peace offering).

Instructions
If your detergent is crystallized, fill your sink halfway with hot water. With the cap on, place your bottle in the water for one hour. Do this twice. I only did it once and it worked.

Carry on, Cascade.

WTF Cascade?

Alert! I cracked open a new bottle of Cascade with Dawn gel dishwasher detergent tonight only to find it was nearly impossible to squeeze any detergent out of the bottle. The gel had turned into some kind of crystallized mass. It's like there's a gallon of goopy sand in the bottle!

Naturally, I turned to the Internet and found my brothers in arms who have also been saddled with the defective detergent. I also e-mailed Cascade in hopes they will send me coupons as a peace offering or a truce.

Our voices will join as one. We will rise up. We will not stand for bad Cascade!

Dryer balls

The question: Do dryer balls really work?
The answer: I have no clue.

I received a pack of dryer balls as a gift several months ago and have been using them with every load of laundry. They claim to do all sorts of things like make clothes softer, reduce lint and wrinkles, and speed drying time. Now, I like to believe that all those things are happening, but I really can't say for sure. And yet, I continue to use them faithfully.

BAM. Dryer balls.

Time for you to get a clock

I'm down to just two alarms: my shake-awake clock and cell phone. My Timex clock-radio isn't working properly. I hit snooze and it resets itself to midnight on Saturday, Jan. 1 (year unknown), which really isn't such a bad time to be. But, when I have a bus to catch, I need the actual time, not make-believe.

This is my second Timex clock-radio, I got my first one when I was heading off to college. I was drawn to them because of their useless features: nature noises, bell and chime alarms, color-changing digital display. I don't think I'll buy another. They didn't last very long. Three to four years. Seems to me they should last much longer than that, especially since they're Timex. Aren't they supposed to keep on ticking?

Good grief. And people wonder why I'm late.

My computer also messes with me time-wise. It's chronically 7-9 minutes behind. I'll synchronize the time, but the next day, it's off again. Do I need some kind of patch?

Loving on the edge

I would like to take a moment to profess my love for Shur-Line's Edge Like a Pro. This piece of painting paraphernalia has changed my life and all for a mere $6! I used it for edging in my living room and it made the entire painting process so much faster.

Taping sucks (sucks, sucks, sucks). With the edger, I didn't have to use any tape and the results were awesome. It took a little bit of practice to perfect my technique, but once I hit my stride, edging was a breeze. I daresay my lines were even straighter than they are with tape. Plus, tape isn't any cheaper. A roll of 1.5" blue painters tape costs $6 too. Time-saving + better results + same price = no-brainer.

A sure thing, if you ask me.

P.S. More to come on my living room redo soon (part of Operation-Whip-My-House-into-Shape)!

This sucks

I got my vacuum! It was waiting on my doorstep when I came home from work Thursday. I'm pleased to report that it works like a charm just as Consumer Reports and the Amazon reviews promised it would. Best of all, it only cost $60. And the price just dropped another $2. What a steal.

I should have made this purchase a year ago. I haven't owned a vacuum since I've moved into my house which means my area rugs haven't been cleaned. Ever. Sometimes I would take a lint roller to the one in my bedroom, but something tells me that doesn't really count.

Power. Buy yours on Amazon.

Homegirl got glasses

Hey, look! Homegirl got glasses! These are just a cheapy temporary pair to tide me over until my beefed up vision insurance plan kicks in in January and I can spring for pricier frames. The ones I'm currently sporting came from Zenni Optical, a super-discount online glasses retailer I learned about from Ashlynn's blog.* These bad boys only cost $8! With the added anti-glare lens coating and shipping costs, my grand total came to $17.50.

The one tricky part about ordering them was measuring my pupillary distance, which is the only necessary figure not considered part of the prescription, and therefore not provided by my eye doctor. So, I had a friend measure the distance between my pupils with a metric ruler about a dozen times until we both agreed that 53 mm did seem to be the correct measurement.

$17.50 never looked so good! With glasses, it's like I'm now viewing my world in high definition.

*Although it might sound as though Ashlynn and I are chums, I, in fact, do not know her. I just like to read her blog.

The rug is here!

My new rug is here! After a week and a half of repeatedly checking Overstock for customer comments on the red mosaic tile rug, and failing to find any, I finally just went ahead and purchased it (reckless, I know). I was able to get 10 percent off (I just googled "overstock.com promo code" and a bunch of different codes popped up), so that made me feel a little bit better about the whole thing. Also, thanks everyone for all your encouraging comments!

Flash forward to tonight. My rug was waiting on my doorstep for me when I got home. And I couldn't be happier with it. The colors were true to how they appeared online and the pile is nice and cushy as promised. I'm in love.

The rug and my couch. Hey, there's the framed couch print too (not hung yet, but still)!

I liked the rug so much, I just had to get in one of the shots. So, here I am.

American Frame

The frame from American Frame for my couch print arrived yesterday! It was packaged quite well and the frame, mat, acrylic sheet and backing board all arrived in excellent condition. Unfortunately, the framing hardware was missing, which means I can't hang my picture just yet. I called American Frame today about the hardware and they are sending some my way. As an added bonus (well, at least it's pleasing to me), the entire mat board was included - the border I'd requested and the inside portion which can easily be cut to mat something else. All in all, I'm pleased with my purchase and will use American Frame again.

This is the interior packaging - how it was packaged inside of the box.

The frame itself, currently laying (lying?) on the floor while the hardware is MIA.

I <3 Five Gallon Buckets

Who knew a five gallon bucket would turn out to be my best friend? I spent my formative years on the farm schlepping many a five gallon bucket of milk (two at a time, too!), but hadn't really thought I'd use those mad skillz again. Ah, but life has a funny way of working itself out. My five gallon buckets (and my amazing hauling abilities) were called into action several times over the past week and half to remove at least 50 gallons of water (caused by melting snow) from my bowl-shaped driveway.

Even if you are not blessed with a curvacious driveway, a five gallon bucket can still be your best friend. Consider these other uses for this cultural phenomenon:

• Extra seating
• Step stool (which I used when painting my dining room)
• Weapon (I once bludgeoned myself in the head with one)
• Test out the science of G-forces
• Toilet

Peachy-Keen Peach Cobbler

This peach cobbler recipe from m.writes is very delicious and very easy to make. I was a bit skeptical when the recipe said to just dump the batter, melted butter and peaches into a casserole dish without stirring, but it turned out beautiful. The batter baked up and enveloped the peaches so it had a nice golden brown crust. Brilliant!

Yummy! Look at that crust!

PEACHY-KEEN PEACH COBBLER

• 1 cup Flour
• 1 cup Sugar
• pinch of Salt
• 1 T Baking powder
• 3/4 cup Milk
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 large can of peaches, drained

Pour peaches in a bowl and add:

• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1 tsp. Ginger
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Nutmeg

Mix well until all peaches are coated. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients with the milk; pour into deep casserole dish (well greased). Pour melted butter on top of the batter within the dish. Without mixing, dump the peaches right in the middle of the dish. DO NOT STIR!

Bake 40-45 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Note: I only used a 3/4 stick of butter and thought that seemed like more than enough. Next time, I'm going to scale it back to half a stick. I'm not a huge fan of nutmeg, so I might nix it or at least half it next time. Enjoy!

Shake Awake Alarm Clock

Sleeping soundly is my God-given talent. I do it very well, too well perhaps. Over the years, I've become desensitized to my alarms. I had four alarms going off every morning -- the radio and buzzer alarms on my alarm clock and two alarms on my cell phone -- and sometimes, I would still sleep late.

So, I requested a vibrating alarm clock for Christmas. Both my dad and Chad told me I didn't need the clock; I just needed discipline. Needless to say, I got the clock. It has a vibrating pod that goes under my pillow or mattress to shake me awake in the morning. I've been using mine since Monday and really like it.

Get yours at amazon.

Hooray for AutoZone

The check engine light came on in my car earlier this week. After checking the usual suspects, it seemed the only way I was going to find out was wrong with my car was to bite the bullet and take it to the dealer so they could hook it up to their computer.

As I bemoaned the thought of spending an extra $100, Chad suggested I take it to AutoZone where they'll diagnose it for free. One no-cost computer hook-up later, the culprit was revealed: My gas cap wasn't tightened enough. How embarrassing. Although, not quite as embarrassing as spending $100 for that same information.

Image from flickr

Walgreens Ink Refills

Walgreens can do no wrong in my book. Today I tried their printer ink cartridge refill service and couldn't be happier. It cost me $10 and a 20 minute wait to have my black ink cartridge refilled ($15 for a color cartridge). That's at least a 50 percent savings over buying a new cartridge and it upholds the three R's: reduce, reuse, recycle.

Arch Rival

I love a good board game. On Christmas night, that game was Arch Rival. It's a "game of balance...nerves...and suspense." And it is awesome. The gist of the game: you don't want to be the one that makes the arch fall.

My mom got Arch Rival at a garage sale or consignment shop years ago and I'm still not sure why someone would want to get rid of it. Buy your own set on eBay; you won't regret it.

Becky, attempting to place a plastic piece in the keystone. Plus, look at all the neon pieces in the lower left corner of the photo -- that's a lot of 1992 goodness.

Blake, attempting to remove a plastic piece from the arch.

Me, rockin' it.

Truffle Brownie Cups

I spent my raucous Friday night baking truffle brownie cups at 11 p.m. I have a killer sweet tooth, and there's no stopping me until it's satisfied. The brownie cups were really easy and really delicious (they were really high in calories too, but never mind the details)!

Recipe (yield = 24)
(from The Pampered Chef Fall/Winter 2007 Season's Best Recipe Collection)

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray with flour
1 2/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
2 T butter (do not use margarine)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325° F. Spray wells of mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
• Place 2/3 cup of the chocolate chips and butter in microwaveable bowl and microwave until melted.
• Add sugar and egg and mix until blended.
• Add flour, mix just until flour is incorporated.
• Spoon the dough into the muffin pan wells, filling each well about 2/3 full. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set (do not over bake).
• Meanwhile, create the chocolate ganache filling. Microwave the cream for 1-2 minutes until it is hot (but not boiling). In a medium mixing bowl, add the cream to the remaining chocolate chips, stirring with a whisk.
• Place the bowl in the freezer for 10-12 minutes to cool the mixture, stirring every five minutes.
• Once the brownies are done, let them cool in the pan for a couple of minutes. Using a tart shaper or your thumbs, indent the middle of the brownies. Use a paring knife to trim around the edges of the brownie cups, then carefully remove them from the pan.
• Spoon the ganache into the brownie cups.
• Let the cups stand until ganache is firm. Enjoy!

NOTES: I let my brownies bake for 15-17 minutes because they were way too gooey otherwise. The brownies were very difficult to remove from the pan (even with trimming around the edges). I ended up banging the pan upside-down on a wire rack. Perhaps spooning them out or using paper baking cups would help. I think the ganache would be extra delicious with bittersweet chocolate chips. I stored my brownie cups in the fridge.

Bittman's No-Knead Bread

I'm a year behind the rest of the blogging community on this, but I too tried out what's been dubbed Bittman's bread (though I'd prefer to call it Jim Lahey's bread if we really want to give credit where credit is due). The gist behind this bread is that you let time do the work to make the bread rise, eliminating the need to knead. Then you bake it in a piping hot covered casserole dish which allows the steam to do something (not sure what exactly) to the bread.

It turned out beautiful and delicious. I think it best if it's eaten within a couple days. By day three, the bread had lost some of its luster.

No-knead bread fresh from the oven

Notes: If you try this bread, the consensus seems to be that you should use 1 1/2 cups water, not 1 5/8 like the recipe states. Using regular dry active yeast (instead of instant yeast) is absolutely fine. A 3-5 qt. covered casserole dish should be plenty big. Enjoy.

Only so-so

I had such high hopes for this silicone sink strainer from Oxo. Since I don't have a garbage disposal, I thought this bad boy would come in handy because it can invert, making it easy to empty all of its contents into the garbage. The inverting part works great. The trouble comes with trying to get all the little food particles floating around in the sink to acually flow into the strainer in the first place. A lot of them get caught on the lip of the strainer, creating more work to scoop everything up. So, if you're thinking about buying this, think again -- it only works so-so.