THINKING THURSDAY - Each Drop of Water Counts

Today's Thinking Thursday is short, simple and...shocking. Read on to learn just how each drop of wasted water adds up then take a look around your house to see where you can save a few million drops.

FACT: A faucet that drips once per second wastes up to 3000 gallons of water per year.

FACT: Faucets installed before 1994 flow at the rate of 7 gallons per minute compared to the new high efficiency ones - they can reduce the flow by 30%.
FACT: Before 1994, toilets used as much as 7 gallons per flush. Current toilets can use as little as .9 gallon.
FACT: Current showerheads can be set to flow at a rate of less than 2 gallons per minute without affecting the pressure.

Yummyday Tuesday - Hot Honey Bacon Vinaigrette

Hot Honey Bacon Vinaigrette

1/2 C. Honey
1/4 C. Red Onion, finely diced
2 oz. Bacon Drippings
2 Tbsp. Dijon
1/4 C. Red wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. Cornstartch
1 Tbsp. Tabasco

Wisk well and chill.

For more great receipes visit http://www.thekendalcompanies.com/Recipes---DIY-Projects.html

THINKING THURSDAY - How Long Should It Last?

Get your mind out of the gutter - this Thinking Thursday is another random thought about how long your APPLICANCES should last.

Buying appliances is tough. Do you go with the cheapest one to just get you by or do you invest in the high-end model and hope it lasts you forever? Here is a breakdown of the average life span of your family friends:
Refrigerator/Freezer – 13 years
Cook tops – 13-15 years depending on gas or electric
Washer – 10 years
Dryer - 13 years
Dishwasher – 9 years
Water Heater 0 Electric – 11 years, Gas 10 years; tankless 20+
Heating and air Systems – 15 years average on all models
Before you head out shopping , be sure to find out how to properly dispose of your broken ones. Many places such as Lowe's will pick up your old ones and recycle them for you. Visit earth911.org for more info.

Yummyday Tuesday - Zippy Brunch Casserole

Zippy Brunch Casserole


1 lbs. Ground Pork
5oz. Croutons
1 1/2 C. Shredded Cheddar
1 C. Shredded Swiss
1 C. Shredded Pepper Jack
8 Eggs
1 pint half and half
1 1/2 C Milk
1 1/2 tsp. Dry mustard
2 tsp. Minced Onion
Salt and Pepper  - to taste





Brown sausage and drain well. Beat together the eggs, half & half, milk, dry mustard and onions.

Layer the bottom of a casserole dish with the croutons. Add the sausage and pour the liquid mixture over it. Layer the cheeses, with the cheddar on top. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. let stand for an additional 20 minutes before serving.

For more great receipes visit http://www.thekendalcompanies.com/Recipes---DIY-Projects.html

THINKING THURSDAY - Now That THAT'S Over - what to do with that paperwork!

Tax day is here and hopefully your return is halfway on its way to the IRS's door. Now, what do you do with all that paperwork? What do you keep? What do you Toss? Around here, my regular readers know I like to TOSS as much as possible - well, at least what can't be recycled or repurposed. It’s important to not have extra papers hanging around your home.

Here is this week's Thinking Thursday's research on this very topic so YOU don't have to think about it anymore....

If you don’t already have a fireproof box in your home, now is the time to get one while you have everything at hand. Inside you should keep all difficult-to-replace documents such as:
Birth Certificates
Marriage/Divorce Certificates
Passports
Social Security Cards
Wills
A List of bank accounts, including investments
A list of emergency contacts
An Inventory of household items (in case, Lord forbid, your house burns down)
KEEP:
Tax returns and Schedule A receipts for 6 years. This is how long the IRS can audit you once a return is filed. I suggest a plastic bin – never know when the roof is going to leak or the basement is going to flood. Be prepared!
A list of family medical history. If something happens to you or a family member, it’s a good idea to have this on-hand and easy to find.
What you don’t need to keep after one year–
Credit Card and Bank Statements - now is a great time to sign up for online statements and stop that paper trail
Utility Bills – Once your check clears, you are in the good
Pay Stubs – Your W-2 works just fine after taxes are filed


QUICK TIP: The best thing you can do to prevent Identity Theft is to shred your papers. Buy a crosscut shredder. Shred your papers and use the shreds instead of packing peanuts when you mail gifts. Identity safe and Gifts shipped safely – I like it!


Prepare for next year. Go ahead and prepare your files for this year. A locking filing cabinet is a good place to start. 40% of Identity theft victims know the person who steals their ID. It’s harder to pry open a locking file cabinet than to glance around someone’s desk.

Yummyday Tuesday - Blue Cheese Popovers

Bleu Cheese Popovers



Whisk together:
2 Eggs
1 C. Milk
2 Tbsp. Melted butter
1 C. Flour
1.2 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Black Pepper

Once your mixture is lump-free, stir in 1 1/4 oz. Crumbled Blue Cheese and 1 Tbsp. Fresh Chopped Thyme

Spoon into a mini muffin tin that is 1 1/2" in diameter across the top for best results. Chill overnight.

Do not preheat the oven. Add pan to a cold oven and bake a 425 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Makes apx. 4 dz.

THINKING THURSDAY - What's in that Cannister!?

Ever grabbed the flour cannister only to discover it is Bisquick too late? Counting nutritional info and you've already thrown the pasta package away when you transferred it to the stay-fresh cannister? Here's a great organizational tip for today's Thinking Thursday from bhg.com:

Attach clear adhesive pockets to the outside of your container. After you fill the cannister, cut out the ingredients/nutirtional info off the package and slip it into the pocket. Pockets can be purchased at Staples or Hobby Lobby or make your own by purchasing baseball card sleeves and cutting them out. Add adhesive to the back and there you have it!

Yummyday Tuesday - Orange-Cranberry Scones

Nothing says "southern" like a hot homemade scone!

Shift together:
4 C. Flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Add:
 3/4 C. Sugar

Grate 16 Tbsp. of FROZEN butter into the mixture

Whisk together 1 C. of sour cream and 2 eggs - add to mixture and mix well.

Add 1 cup of dried cranberries and the zest of 1 large orange. Mix well.

Refrigerate dough until cooled. Roll out dough and cut into 3 inch sqaures. Fold the squares into triangles. Sprinkle with sugar and bake on parchment paper at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve hot!