Lifehacker Tip Review - Pancakes & Towels

One of the feeds I have in my Google Reader is Lifehacker.com, an "an award-winning daily blog that features tips, shortcuts, and downloads that help you get things done smarter and more efficiently."  The majority of the content is technology related but they also feature household tips.  Two of which I've tried recently and will now review for lack of anything better to post today.

Repurpose a squeeze bottle for perfect pancakes
Instead of a cake, Stew wanted chocolate chip pancakes for his birthday.  So I took the opportunity to try out this tip I'd seen back in May.  I've had a washed out ketchup bottle sitting around since then, and that's really the only thing you need, well and pancake batter.  You could make your own, like I tried once (see below), or you can use the "just add water" mix like I did yesterday.


As you can see from my previous homemade attempt, I'm a fairly messy cook.  Plus with pancakes you always get batter drips everywhere.  That's why I thought having the batter in a squeeze bottle would be a groovy idea.


However it seemed silly to make the batter in a separate bowl AND THEN pour it into the squeeze bottle.  I figured I'd skip a step and put the mix powder in the bottle and then add water, cap it, and shake.  I usually mix it by eye anyway because the amounts they say on the box never seem to work for me.


Well that worked, sort of.  Without a funnel, I had to improvise one with rolled up paper, which then got kind of sticky and clogged up.  So it was still a messy process, but oh well... I wised up and did it in the sink on the second batch.  A "wide mouth" squeeze bottle would probably work better for that purpose.


Once I got my batter the right consistency, the pan the right sizzling temp, the spatula located and the chocolate chips spilled open,  I was ready.


The squirting of the batter into the pan was definitely worth it, it worked perfectly and was just fun to do.  I imagine it would be very handy for making funky shaped pancakes but I wasn't in that mood.  Plus by the time the first few were done and served to the birthday boy I then had all the kids clamoring for seconds and I had to quick do a refill.  Here again was the downfall of the "need a funnel to get the mix in the bottle thing", it took longer to prep the second batch than it would have to just mix some up quick in a big measuring bowl I usually use.


I give it 3 stars ★ ★ ★
& my tips are: 1) don't be a sissy and just make a mess the normal way or 2) use a big mouth bottle if you can find one or 3) use a real funnel or 4) buy a pre-bottled "shake and pour" product I recently saw in the stores.  Talk about landfill fodder!


Use Vinegar and Baking Soda to Recharge your Towels
I shared this one on facebook a few weeks ago.  Maybe your towels don't get skanky after a while, you know, like YEARS, but ours do.  I mean I haven't bought a new towel in like forever.  Mom keeps me stocked on kitchen towels, but even the relatively new ones fall prey to that icky not-so-fresh feeling eventually.  Apparently the criminals are frequent washes, using too much detergent and using liquid fabric softeners... all three of which coat your towel with slime and rob it of its absorbency.  Who knew?


I tried this vinegar and baking soda trick on a load of our skankiest towels and they all came out looking, feeling and smelling practically like new.  Very cool!  Just wash a load with hot water and 1 cup of vinegar, then wash once again with hot water and 1/2 cup baking soda.  Don't add detergent/softener to either load (although I did use fabric softener sheets in the dryer with them, to no ill effect).   I also did a load of some of our older clothes and it worked just as great.  I mean let's face it, Milo is wearing stuff that both Wiley and Cyrus wore before him and many times those were even handed down to Wiley from older cousins.  So it is wonderful to be able to "recharge" some of the pieces that just never seemed to smell all that fresh anymore even though they were basically clean.


I give this one 5 stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
& really don't have any tips to add. Oh, don't forget to set your washer back to cold, if that is what you normally use.

Word Count = 782

Time to write/post = right under an hour

My husband, I love the bastard

Thirty-five years ago today, Christopher Michael Stewart was born out of wedlock to two people I couldn't imagine being more wrong for each other.  But hey, sometimes that works.

Born in North Carolina, during his childhood he also lived in Iceland and Spain (with his older sister, father, and step-mom).  Those who know him shouldn't be surprised that he had some behavior issues (including getting kicked out of school in Spain), so he eventually moved to Iowa to live with his mother and step-dad, who had relocated there from NC with their work.

Adel became his home-base and he made many friends during the remainder of school there.  He kept up his crazy antics, I've heard plenty of stories... As I've described him elsewhere before, I imagine he was a lot like Wiley is now- that sort of cute, but mostly naughty/freaky boy that when he wasn't bugging girls was being a clown with boys.  He was a year younger than the rest of his class, and graduated in 1992.  He refuses to get a facebook account, but even before that existed he'd email, call or visit old friends.  He has made it back for all his reunions.  I got to go to the last one, it was pretty fun.  

Look, he was a bad boy AND rode a moped.  The boy of my fantasies! Was it just me or did all farm-girls occasionally wish that they lived in town and could zip around on a moped?  We were destined to meet.

Fortunately for me, he took a year off after high school to work in North Carolina, staying with Stewart relatives.  During that year he also lived in Bermuda, working on a construction site with his dad.  After Bermuda he worked in Maine for a spell but eventually he headed back to Iowa.  

That put him starting at Iowa State the same year I did.  We didn't meet that year, even though it turns out he was only one dorm building away... but he didn't party much, if at all.  He was an engineering student after all, I guess they had something called homework?  Sophomore year he ended up taking some classes with one of my friends, who was also one of my housemates.

I suppose I'll save the story of how we met for like Valentine's Day or something.  However my first impression was that he was a big jerk, but a cute flirtatious one, with a twinkle in his eye and always a smile for me.  I was hesitant when we starting going out, but he won me over. I think it was that one time he lit his fart on fire, at a party.  I mean, come on!

Turns out he makes a pretty swell husband and great dad.  Of course our family has had our share of stormy moments, but for the most part it's been super awesome.

We love him very much and hope to get at least another 35+ years out him.  Happy Birthday Stew! (who is currently zonked out on the living room floor, we had a busy day...)

Word count = 487

Time to write/post = little over an hour

Saturday's Russian Roulette - Sketching

If I fire 5 bullets on Friday, that means Saturday is a game of Russian Roulette...

It is not exactly high stakes, but for me there is definitely a rush and thrill associated with trying to do something that you haven't done before.  Or practicing something that you want to be better at.  Or getting back on the saddle after falling off.  The outcome may be unpredictable and the results far from perfect, but there it is.  You've done it and you are still alive and hopefully you've learned something.

Today's pesky sixth bullet is a sketch:

6. I've mentioned I like to doodle, but I've never been very good at rendering realistic sketches.  I can quick-draw cartoony sketches okay, you'd want me on your Pictionary team, but it has always been a challenge for me to accurately sketch things that require attention to correct angles, proportions and details, etc. such as human figures, clothing design ideas, everyday things.
   
   This morning as I looked online to make sure Russian Roulette did in fact involve one bullet remaining after five, I found an image of a six-shot revolver.  So instead of just linking to that image, I decided to try to sketch it.  I love the look of line drawings done in fine point Sharpie, (like these daily drawings by kate*) and their indelibility definitely ups the risk.
   
   Here's the inspiration image and here's the result:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Have a good Saturday!

Word Count = 231

Time to write/post = not sure, 

including the sketch maybe 30 mins?

Friday's Five Bullets

Fridays might have to be bullet list days. Or at least this one. I've got some drafts saved but at the moment I don't feel like putting in any effort (see #2).

Things I've learned so far while BadMoFoBloPoMo'ing:

1. It takes me a long time to compose these things.  I mean, usually I'm not putting it all together start to finish in one go, but I've estimated that the longer ones with multiple pictures take over an hour to put together, if not more.  I'm curious to see just what the time investment is, so I've started noting both the Word Count and Time to write/post at the lower right hand corner of each entry.  
2. This afterschool time slot is not a very good time to be a productive Posty McPosterson.  Sure Milo is usually napping, but the other two have been bickering a lot lately and my synapses are just generally fried after 3 pm (see yesterday's post).  Especially when I'm not lubricating them with alcohol.  My synapses, not the boys.
3. Best times for me are either late nights, 8 - 12 (boys in bed) or early mornings 4 - 7 (can't sleep after Stew's left for work, boys still in bed).  
4. I guess I didn't learn a fourth thing because I've been sitting here staring at the blinking cursor for like 5 minutes.
5. So that means I got nothing for #5 either.  Here, look at this little "handwriting meme" thing I uploaded to flickr today:

What is written: 1. Name/ Username 2. Right or Left Handed 3. Favorite Letters to Write 4. Least Favorite Letters to Write 5. Write "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." 6. Tag 6 Contacts.

A fellow BadMoFoBloPoMo'er, Jennoit, posted her handwriting sample yesterday, so I'm totally riding on her coattails.  Thanks dear.   Here is a little cheer for you:  Let's Go Bloggers! clap clap clap!clap!clap!

Word count = 303 

Time to write/post = 30 min