We’ve given away several of these Leslie Sansone DVDs, and each time they are as possible as the very first contest. It just goes to show you that walking in your home is becoming a very popular thing to do.

I’ve got a copy of her Kid’s Walk DVD to giveaway today. Here’s a clip:

If you’d like to win, leave a comment on this post by Wednesday, July 15th. I’ll choose a winner at random and announce the lucky person the next day.

Image: Leslie Sansone

Loved this bit about the origin of some of our favorite condiments. Condiments really make a meal sometimes, and it’s fun to see where they all came from. For example, my very favorite condiment (ranch dressing) got its start from a…. (any guesses?) ranch! (Of course.)

Apparently Steve and Gayle Henson opened a dude ranch in 1954, and started a company with Steve’s secret recipe for dressing (Hidden Valley Ranch.) As guests kept raving about how good the dressing was, the Henson’s decided to bottle it. As with any great entrepreneur, the Henson’s knew when to sell the stuff, too. Clorox bought the recipe in 1972 for $8 million.

Image: Amazon

I had some leftover beef the other night and wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. I had made stew, and the for some reason had a pile of beef bits leftover. I came up with this beef pot pie dish.

• Ready Made Pie Crusts
• Leftover beef tips (about 2 cups)
• 4 oz. frozen corn
• 4 oz. mushroom slices (canned)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 375. Mix ingredients together in a large bowl. Place pie crust bottom in pie pan. Put filling (ingredients) into pie filling. Cover with top pie crust. Slice several slots in top. Bake for 40 minutes.

Image: sxc.hu.

Amid ground beef recalls, the CDC is reminding consumers that ground beef is cooked to a safe internal temperature when it reaches 160 degrees F. The CDC says that using a thermometer is the only way to be sure your ground beef is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill bacteria.

“Color is NOT a reliable indicator that ground beef or ground beef patties have been cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7,” reads the CDC’s E. coli outbreak page.

Twenty-three people, most of whom reported eating undercooked ground beef, have become ill with E. coli O157:H7. Read more about the recall of ground beef recall from JBS Swift Beef Company at CDC.

Do you use a thermometer to test burgers at home?

(Image via stock.xchng)

Pool parties can be a lot of fun, but they can also be a lot of work. Organizing your pool party will help you save time and energy and really can cut back on the mess. When you are planning your party, you’ll want to think about the different things you and your guests will need to do. A well organized party is one that anticipates the guests’ needs so that you don’t have to spend fifteen or twenty minutes looking for something you forgot to pull out.

Photo: sxc

• How will people take bathroom breaks? If they’ll be hiking through the house, consider protecting your floor with throw rugs or plastic rug runners.
• Will they bring their own towels? If not, put buckets of towels in a convenient spot. If so, provide an area for them to place their towels until they need them and set up a towel line so they can let towels drip dry between dips in the pool.
• What will they do with wet swim gear? Recycle plastic grocery bags into after party gear holders. People who opt to wear wet swim suits home will appreciate a way to protect their seats, so you may want to offer trash bags as seat protectors, too.
• How will they feel tomorrow? At least one guest is sure to forget sunscreen. Providing a few bottles of sunscreen and lotion is a thoughtful touch they are sure to appreciate.

Do you have any tips for organizing a pool party?

You know how some people are always getting bit by mosquitoes? That’s me. For some reason, mosquitoes really really like me. I hate the smell of repellents, so I was eager to try the new Off! Clip On brand of mosquito repellent.

The blue device is a handy clip on that you can snap to your shorts or pants waistband, and head out in the garden or yard without worrying about it falling off or becoming a nuisance. The small device needs batteries (which are included) and a repellent refill. The manufacturer says that each refill provides up to 12 hours of protection.

While I didn’t use the device for 12 straight hours, I can say that the no mess part of it is truly fabulous. The device has a small fan that runs very quietly, so even if you’re going outside for some R&R it won’t disrupt you. I snap it on when I run outside with the dog, and I’ve also set it on our picnic table when my family was gathered around. It seemed to work well in both instances.

The only downfall I can find at all is that it’s slightly pricey. I was able to download a buy one, get one free coupon which really helped.

Overall, if mosquitoes are a problem for you, I highly recommend the Off! Clip On.

Image: Off

We’re going to a picnic tomorrow, and one of the things we have to do is bring a “dish to pass.” Since it’s summer and I know we’ll be having burgers and brats, I wanted a starch to go along with the rest of our meal, but also something that would be substantial in and of itself. When I need a recipe like that, I usually pick a pasta salad.

While I normally don’t like creamy, cold pasta salads, this one from Betty Crocker is delish! It doesn’t have that heavy mayo taste, and also isn’t drenched in salad dressing. The cooked chicken give it some depth, and the croutons and Parmesan topping make it really unique. Also very easy to make.

Image: sxc.hu.

If you’re hitting the pool this holiday weekend with baby, please check the list of recalled baby floats first. If you have one of the floats, stop using it immediately.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Aqua-Leisure Industries have recalled 4 million inflatable baby floats due to drowning hazards. The leg straps in the seat of the float can tear, resulting in children falling into or under the water. There have been 31 reports of float seats tearing and children falling into or under the water as a result. No injuries were reported.

A date between 08/02 and 07/08 is molded on the valves of the baby floats that have been recalled. Floats not included in the recall will have “NP” on the valve.

The recall includes several different styles of baby floats. Please visit the CPSC recall page to see photos, descriptions and model numbers of all recalled floats. Recalled floats shown in photos: Ticklish Turtle Sunshade Float/Baby Boat and Sunshade Buggy.

Contact Aqua-Leisure at (866) 807-3998 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit aqualeisure.com for refund information.

(Images from CPSC)

They say the kitchen is the emotional center of your house, and that couldn’t be more true. After all, no matter how beautiful the other rooms in your home are, chances are everyone seems to settle in the kitchen. If your space is in need of a little updating, you’ll find this article on MSN of interest.

The article offers several ideas on how to spruce up a kitchen. One thing I appreciated about this link was that it included ideas for a really small space. Not everyone has the room for a big fantastic spread.

Image: sxc.hu.

You know those ice cube trays we all used to have before we all got ice makers in the freezer? We kept ours because there are so many things you can do with them besides simply making ice. Here are just a few ways to use ice cube trays:

• Making mini frozen pops. We mix up a juice drink, pour it into trays and let it start to set in the freezer. After it is partially set, I pop in toothpicks to use as popsicle sticks. If you don’t have juice, you can blend up fruit to smoothie consistency and freeze it instead.
• DIY bullion cubes. Save that leftover chicken or beef broth and pour it into a tray to make ice cube size bullion cubes. A great way to add a bit of flavor to greens, soups and other dishes fast.
• Organizing small things. Ice cube trays are just the right size for sorting beads, holding your earring collection, etc.

Photo: SXC