Here are a few other recipes you might want to try out:

Sarah’s Best Homemade Hot Chocolate – This one has a touch of vanilla.

Alton Brown’s Cocoa – Has a touch of cayenne.

Starbucks Knock Off Hot Chocolate Recipe – For when you can’t make it out the driveway to get your fix.

No matter what the recipe, I like to add a dollop of light whipped cream to my cocoa. Are you a whipped cream fan or do you prefer to have your cocoa unfooled around with?

Photo: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

Hot Chocolate Recipes

Dietary silicon is an important ingredient for increasing bone mineral density, and researchers from the University of California, Davis recently studied the silicon content in 100 commercial beers, categorizing the silicon content by beer style and source.

The average silicon content of the beers was 6.4 to 56.5 mg/L. That’s a pretty big range, and some of the additional findings below will help explain the differences.

The average silicon in parts per million (ppm) for ales was 32.8. Light lagers had an average of 17.2 ppm silicon, while regular lagers had 23.8 ppm. The average silicon content of all beers tested was 29.4 ppm.

Other findings:

• Wheat-based beers had less silicon than those with more hops, like India Pale Ale (IPA) beers, which had an average of 41.2 ppm of silicon content.
• Darker products with a lot of roasting like black malt, chocolate and roasted barley had less silicon.
• Malting doesn’t greatly affect the silicon content of barley, plus the malts with the highest silicon are those that are pale in color.
• Beers from the US had more silicon content than international beers studied.

Researchers concluded that beer is a major source of silicon, and that beers containing high levels of malted barley and hops are the richest in silicon. It’s the husk of the barley that’s the best source of silicon.

More details about this study can be found in the February issue of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Society of Chemical Industry.

(Image via stock.xchng)

Post from: Blisstree

Could Beer Be Good for You?

My kit includes:

• Brand new trashcan from the dollar store and liners
• Box of tissues
• Brand new DVD (I have a grown up sports related option and a kids’ cartoon option)
• Freezer pops (Pedialyte version and junky fruit drink version)
• Ginger ale
• New stuffed toy (Not really appreciated by a sick grown up man, but it makes kids smile.)
• Can of chicken soup
• Saltines

Now, I know I always have what I need on hand if someone gets a virus, including a little treat to make all that time laying around feeling icky seem a little less awful. If a child is the one feeling ill, we do some sick day activities once he or she feels a little better.

Do you have a sick day kit?

Photo: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

Sick Day Kit

Too often, a manufacturer’s idea of a serving size varies way too much when compared with what a consumer actually eats.

If you think a serving of ice cream means you get to fill up your bowl, you’re probably scoops away from the truth. You should multiply that seemingly innocent fat and calorie count on the nutrition label.

In an effort to help curb obesity, the FDA wants nutrition labels on the fronts of packages (graphic designers everywhere are making faces), and they possibly want to retool how serving sizes are presented. The FDA believes the serving sizes should be more in line with how people actually eat, forcing them to realize just how many calories are in those cookies or cereal.

Another problem is that not many people get out the measuring cup when it comes to pouring the morning’s cereal. Are you getting only 2/3 cup? Probably not.

How do you feel about the FDA’s concern over serving sizes and position of nutrition labels on foods like ice cream and cookies?

While I’d like to think that most adults are wise enough to consider puny serving sizes versus what’s actually being eaten, I know it’s not always the case. Plus, some kids may snack directly out of the bag — a bad idea. However, I’m not sure whether to look at the FDA’s new rules as too much hand-holding of consumers or a slap on the wrist to makers of the junk foods we eat too much of.

For more on the serving size issue, read One Bowl = 2 Servings. F.D.A. May Fix That at The New York Times.

(Image via stock.xchng)

Post from: Blisstree

FDA Eyeing Serving Sizes

1. Scrapbook last year’s snow photos (or any photos with a common theme) online with one of the many photo book  offers the different photo sites are advertising. A few weeks ago, I scrapbooked the 16 inches of snow we had earlier this year in a photo book. It was super fast, super easy and the end product looked wonderful.
2. Clean something you’ve been meaning to get to. Two feet of snow and I finally got the windows cleaned. (I wanted to shoot photos of birds through the window and the extra motivation did the trick.)
3. Have a family game day. Set up board games in one room, clear off the floor and do indoor bowling with plastic water bottles and a Nerf basketball in another room and have a snowman building competition on the back patio.
4. Sort out your health and beauty supply closet. Take unexpired, unopened products that you aren’t going to use and pack them up in a care package to send to soldiers overseas. I notice a lot of them request things like deodorant. (Don’t forget to check to be sure you aren’t sending anything that shouldn’t be mailed out. For example, homemade goodies are on the don’t list.)
5. Do a small DIY project. I installed a permanent pencil sharpener in the art studio.

What do you do when you are snowed in?

Photo: K Thomas

Post from: Blisstree

Five Things to Do When You Are Snowed In

Here is what you will need to get started:

• A small glass jar with a cork lid
• A small shaker box
• Rubbing alcohol
• Cream colored acrylic paint or glass paints
• A paint brush or foam brush
• Paper napkins with a suitable design
• Mod Podge or other decoupage paste
• A clear acrylic coat
• A pair of sharp scissors

Start out by cleaning the glass jar with rubbing alcohol to help the paint adhere to the glass. Lightly sand the shaker box and wipe away any dust or debris.

Paint the jar and the box with the cream colored paint. Let the first coat dry and apply a second coat to both items. Let them dry completely.

Using sharp scissors, carefully cut out the design you need from the paper napkin. You won’t need to look for specialty napkins. It seems like all the paper napkins that are made today have great designs on them. So just choose one that you like.

You’ll need to be very careful cutting the napkins since you’ll be working with one thin layer with the printed design.

Paint a clear coat of decoupage paste on the area of the shaker box and apply the design to the box. Repeat the same step for the jar. Gently smooth the wrinkles with your fingertips.

Finish by putting one or two clear acrylic coats on the shaker box and the jar. I am sure you’ll be very happy with the outcome of this project. The set looks beautiful when you’re done. Enjoy!

Post from: Blisstree

Decoupage Bath Set

• Make sure any vents are completely clear. Furnace vents, dryer vents and bathroom vents that are covered can lead to all kinds of problems.
• When you are clearing off your sidewalk, add the fire hydrant to your shoveling to do list. Even if it isn’t actually your responsibility because it sits on your handicapped neighbor’s lawn, shoveling out the hydrant can save your life if the house catches fire.
• Don’t think that using a snow blower is easy. Those things are heavy and often hard to control. Check with your doctor before you do anything to clear your yard if you have a heart condition and still be sure to take breaks and move at a slow, steady pace if you don’t.
• When you shovel by hand, remember to plan ahead so you don’t put snow in a spot you’ll want to clear later on. Also, remember that the heavier the snow, the smaller your shovelfuls should be.
• Knock the heaviest part of the snow off of evergreen bushes to keep them from losing their shape.

Do you have any tips for yard maintenance during snow storms?

Photo: K Thomas

Post from: Blisstree

Yard Maintenance During Snow Storms

In my case, I was sure I was replacing some 29 inch stools. I got two very nice stools from Target for a total of $29, brought the box home, opened it…Wow. I wasn’t thinking they’d be quite so tall. Took them into the room, climbed up on top of one and was level with the counter.

Looks like I’m going to be heading back to the store to buy 24 inch stools. I sure am glad this wasn’t a nonreturnable custom order! Hopefully, this will remind me to measure the height and width of anything I want to replace or the area of a space I want to put a piece of furniture in from now on.

Have you ever been sure you were buying a piece of furniture that was the right size, only to discover you remembered the measurements incorrectly?

Photo: sxc

Post from: Blisstree

Measure Twice, Buy Once

Besides concerns about carbon monoxide poisoning, there are several other home safety issues that you should be aware of when you are facing a big winter storm:

• Downed electrical wires – If the kids are in the yard and spot a wire, do they know what to do? Our school system just sent out an automated phone call to every parent, reminding us to tell our kids not to touch a downed wire and to tell us about it right away so we can call for help. (We’re in the middle of what the newspapers, before the first flake even fell, have been dramatically calling the storm of the century.)
• Space heaters – They might warm up your toes, but kids can forget they are on and give themselves a bad burn if they touch the front of one that has been on for awhile. Also, a heater left on overnight or left unattended, always seems to be the cause of several house fires during the winter in my area. If you use one, please only use it for a short time and then turn it off and UNPLUG it before you leave. (You don’t want to risk anyone flipping it on by accident.)
• Smoke detectors – Make sure they work. You don’t want to have them fail when you need them most.

Do you have any winter storm safety tips?

Photo: K Thomas

Post from: Blisstree

Winter Storm Safety Tips

Biddees offers gift cards from top retailers, and the fun part is that the price of a card declines each time it’s viewed!

Right now, when you register for free at Biddees, you’ll receive three LBTs (Little Biddee Things™) at no charge. Use an LBT to view the current price of a card. Each time the card price is viewed by someone, it decreases by .50 cents. Once you see the price of the card, you’ll have the exclusive right to buy the card at the new price for 30 seconds. You’ll also see updates to tell you when a price has changed. And the cards always start at least $1.50 below their value.

LBTs may be purchased for .99 cents, and 15% of each purchase goes to a charity you choose. Some participating groups include the American Cancer Society, MADD, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Special Olympics, American Red Cross, as well as others.

Some of the gift cards you may purchase are from retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, iTunes, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Starbucks, Target, Walmart, VISA and MasterCard prepaid cash cards and more.

Shipping is free and there’s no sales tax. It’s your chance to get a gift card for less than its value guaranteed, plus donate to a worthy cause all at the same time.

To enter to win the free $50 Target gift card from Biddees, please do the following:

• Visit Biddees.com and register for free to receive your free LBTs. (It’s quick and easy.)
• Use your LBTs to view the price of a card(s) you’re interested in.
• Come back here and leave a comment on this post describing your experience. Please mention the lowest cost card you saw. For example: A $25 Starbucks gift card for only $17, etc.)

To win, you must leave your comment by 11 pm CST on Friday, February 19, 2010 and have a US mailing address. You must also respond to my email request for a mailing address within 5 days or another winner will be chosen.

Good luck and happy shopping!

(Logo image via Biddees)

Post from: Blisstree

Win a $50 Target Gift Card from Biddees