CHEAP, EASY, HEALTHY HOT WINGS

I say three ingredients I mean it...I say healthy I mean...baked! It really doesn't get any easier than this!


Three ingredients that you probably have sitting in your fridge and freezer will make some DELICIOUS wings.




Ingredients:
20 Chicken Wings
1/2 cup Hot sauce (your choice how hot you like it!)
1/3 cup Butter


Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2) Get together about 20 chicken wings (if frozen, make sure you thaw them first!)
3) Melt about 1/3 cup butter.
4) Pour 1/2 cup hot sauce in a bowl.
5) Take wings, dip in butter, then dip in hot sauce.
6) Place on a baking sheet (I would cover with aluminum foil first that will save you a LOT of scrub time!)
7) Bake for 25-30 minutes.

VOILA! Hot wings! Match up with your fried pickles and you a restaurant style dinner at half the cost and calories!
Again...easy. How easy? My four year old did everything put melt the butter and handle the oven! Of course mine are never as pretty as the picture but they were YUMMY!

You can add whatever you want to your wings but I like it simple and they were GOOD! I used a mild hot sauce, but you can get them as hot as you like them!


Pinterest Rating: I give them a 9! Mostly because I love hot wings! And anything that my daughter can put together for me! Ha! Easy, cheap, fast! I like it!

CHEAP & EASY SALON NAILS

Whiten your natural nails:


I was a little skeptical of this at first because it seems so easy. But I decided to try it since there are only two ingredients, and I already had both of them! Whowouldathunkit?


1 Tbs peroxide
2 Tbs baking soda

Put in a bowl - swirl together - and soak your nails for a few minutes. Some I've read 1 minute, some 5. My big brain tells me though that the longer you do it, the more results you will see! I've also read other "recipes" that add different levels of ingredients and maybe add some water, some add lemon. But for this purpose, this worked for me! I could tell a difference instantly, and even more so the next morning (I did it at night before bed). The baking soda can be rubbed in to exfoliate your nails as well. You can finish off with a clear coat of polish to fancy them up even more! If you are like me with young kids this is one for after they go to bed...1) because you have to sit still for longer than 5 seconds 2) because they will likely try to get in it and you probably don't want that!


You can see from the picture above - the left is my Pinterest inspiration - and the right is my nails. I do have a clear coat of polish on but I am pretty darn impressed with hot white they turned out! I have used this once a week every since I found this!! No more paying for a manicure for this gal!

FREE MASCARA

Well you paid for the original bottle of mascara, but this tip WILL help you get more out of it. So it's like getting free mascara! I saw this on Pinterest and thought as I think of many ideas...why didn't I think of that?
Typical mascara dries up when about half of the bottle is used This tip can make your mascara last about 3 times longer than it normally would. Obviously saline solution is safe for your eyes, and this is the perfect way to get more out of your mascara. So I gave it a whirl!

For those of you who wear contacts, or have someone in the house who does, you already have saline contact solution. Take 4-5 drops of saline solutions or eyedrops in the mascara. Insert your wands, stir, and WHOO HOO - your mascara will last about 3 times longer! It has worked for my mascara. I was getting ready to throw it away a few weeks ago, and I'm still using it daily thanks to just a few drops of saline!

"Fried" Baked Pickles - Easy and Quick

"Fried" Pickles (Baked)

Now before any of you shake your head or saw Eww...these are AMAZING! And baked..so a better alternative. Again, EASY EASY. My 4 year old once again made these herself (save getting the ingredients together and the oven again)...what? She shouldn't earn her keep by cooking for me? C'mon....

Ingredients:

1 jar pickle slices

2 eggs

1/3 cup flour

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Cajun seasoning

1 tsp pepper

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

Directions:

Turn oven broiler on high. (BEFORE you put them together and make sure if you use the oven before hand to make something (like wings) that you give it time to switch to broil properly. Note the black side of my pan...live and learn!

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and flour. Add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, and pepper. Mix well. (I didn't have cajun but had some red pepper I threw in)

Place panko bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Dunk each pickle slice into the egg mixture, than dredge it in the panko bread crumbs. (If a 4 year old is doing it for you, let them take their time or the pickles will NOT get coated properly)

Place coated pickles on a rack set above a baking sheet and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray (Or use aluminum foil AND spray it, so you don't have to scrub your cookie sheet). Place pan in the middle rack of the oven. Broil for about 3 minutes on each side. Watch it closely! It will burn!

Pinterest rating: a 9! These things are amazing! My husband and I scarfed them down almost before the wings were cooled down enough to eat! (I didn't give it a 10 because it used the broiler on my oven and I didn't even know what that was!) It was quick, easy, and used ingredients you would likely have on hand (if you don't have bread crumbs, some other coating)

Below is the Pinterest inspiration picture and my picture side by side. Bet you can't guess which one is mine!

Two Ingredient Cupcakes: Does it get any easier?

My second Pinterest Project..I'm on a roll Pineapple angel food cupcakes No you weren't misreading that title, it's really just two ingredients. I was REALLY skeptical because: a) How in the world can you really make it with two ingredients - what about the eggs, flour, milk, water, oil, SOMETHING you have to add? NOPE, nothing of the sort. b) It says FAT FREE which usually means it doesn't taste good! Mmm-hmm. Now THIS is my kind of project! My kind of cupcake, my kind of cooking! Seriously..... my 4 year old made them by herself- minus the handling of the stove! Ingredients 20 oz crushed pineapple canned in juice   (the juice gives all the moisture you need) 1 package(s) Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® Cake Mixes White angel food cake mix    Instructions Blend cake mix and an entire 20 oz can of cruswhed pineapple with its juice. DO NOT ADD ANYTHING else- just the mix and the canned pineapple. (The box says to add water- ignore) Using a 1/2 cup ice cream scoop (I didn't measure), this should yield 32! Turn upside down to cool. 375 oven, 15-20minutes.   It's really that simple. The picture on the left is my Pinterest inspiration. The one on the right is mine. Sure mine looks like crud, but they are DELICIOUS! I've seen some recipes where they add frosting, but I figured I'd try with this fat free stuff (oh yeah, and I didn't have any frosting!) So there you have it. My Pinterest rating: 9! (I didn't give it a 10 because well face it...it's not chocolate.)  Caution: Angel Food cake makes them very fluffy - don't put too much in each space! And watch your time - they will burn quickly! (Ahem...yeah you should have seen some of the other batches...)

Rug Job

My First Pinterest Project

Wow - way to boost that creative gene you say. Your first documented Pinterest project in Action is a rug?

Well...it's our runner. We moved recently and the runner that was previously on carpet is now in our kitchen on a tile floor. And needless to say it's pretty slippery. With a 1 year old learning to walk, a 4 year old tearing through the house, and my less than graceful self...yeah, it needs to be fixed!

So this first pin I found was actually via Martha! Way to jump in the big leagues there! Martha gives instructions on how to slip-proof your rug by using caulk. This beats buying a mat to go under the runner.

Step 1: Get a tube of caulk (about $1 but you probably have some laying around or some you could borrow from someone - it doesn't take much!)

Step 2: Put caulk on bottom of rug

Step 3: Let dry

Your finished! Okay those were her words not mine, she is obviously so much better at this tutorial stuff.

But here is a picture of Martha's rug job vs. my rug job. Give me a break I had a 1 year old and 4 year old running around my kitchen. I am aware that it looks horrible! Also note that I did not use a ruler and create a chalk line where I wanted my caulk lines to be. That would have been a smart idea to follow!

Bottom line: It worked decently. You can still slide on it but it's not the dangerous death trap it was before the caulk.

Project score: 10 I give it a 10! Ok...maybe it's an 8. It's not the most mindblowing idea in the world, but it's pretty handy. And it was SIMPLE. And for me - free (I borrowed caulk). It took about 10 seconds to put the caulk down, an hour or so for it to dry , and 3 1/2 hours to figure out how to use a caulk gun in the first place. But that's a different tutorial! All in all, I chalk it up to a great Pinterest Job!

What in the Pinterest is That?

The Inspiration of Pinterest

So we pin and pin and pin...and then what?


Do we ever put the pins into reality? I know that out of the hundreds of pins that I pin on average, 0-1 actually come to life!


So we will walk through a journey of bringing some of my favorite pins to life!

10 Signs you are a Pinterest Addict

Coming Next...the 12 Step Program

For those of you who are all TOO familiar with Pinterest, Here are 10 Signs That You Are a Pinterest Addict:

1. Your grocery list is created from recipes you have pinned on Pinterest.

Confession. I can't tell you how many miscellaneous grocery items my pantry now stores of recipes I intended to make but have yet to.

2. You have told at least 5 people about your latest Pinterest project and then told them YOU HAVE TO GET ON THIS THING.

I know that my best friends, mother, in-laws are all secretly rolling their eyes when I start talking about Pinterest!

3. Your husband now asks after you make something fabulous for dinner or dessert - did you find this on Pinterest?

He actually said last night, "That place has some pretty good ideas huh" - Best compliment EVER from my husband!

4. You wrestle 4 kids into Hobby Lobby (or a craft store) just to get that much needed yarn for this wreath you pinned for fall.

Ok I only have two but yes...yesterday actually!

5. Pinterest makes you secretly feel like Martha Stewart, minus the bad hair cut.

In my head...anything is possible!

6. You have tried to pull off a Pinterest recipe as your own. Oh come on, you know you have.

Actually...see #2!

7. A day hasn't gone by in the last week without mentioning the word Pinterest.

Guilty as charged *pinterest*.

8. Pinterest has cost you more money than you care to admit.

If only I could make it that far - actually buying all the products I need for my projects...I would be broke!

9. Your non-Pinterest friends look at you like you are a freak when you talk about your latest "food in a jar" find.

See #2 (haha sooo true!)

10. You have spent more than 3 hours in 1 sitting pinning because you JUST CAN NOT STOP.

3 hours...yeah that's all, just 3...sure!

11. You REPIN this post

List is Courtesy of Digital Mom Blog (http://www.digitalmomblog.com/blog/2011/09/27/pinterest-10-signs-that-you-are-addicted/) - Comments are mine!

Pinterest Addiction: It's Real

...It's true. There's even an infographic about it.

Why? IMHO it's because it's personalized. I love Pinterest because I pin what I like.
Sure I could spend hours scouring through what my Facebook friends have pinned.

Or I can go straight to what I'm looking for. Recipes, designs, gifts, crafts, organization, or "Good Ideas".

No more recipe cards in handwritten script that leaves you wondering if that says tbsp. or tsp. No more printing recipes offline, or emailing myself the link.

Now I just pull up Pinterest (yes, there is an app for that!) on my iPhone or iPad and click on my board "Mmmmm...." (genius I know).

BAM! Complete with pictures, recipe, AND comments from others who have tried it already. Either a repin (80% of posts are repins), or a quick Google search to a website I can pin, and I'm good to go. It's so simple, it's genius.

You could spend HOURS searching through pins, browsing friends' pins, browsing categories, pinning, and repinning (ahem...not that I've done that).

And with this addiction there is a little voice in your head telling you it's ok it's productive addiction. Every crafty gift, every frugal tip, every simple recipe is actually improving your life so Pinteresting is really a good thing. Well, it is.

BUT you have to take those pretty little pictures and bring them to life! Where to start? That's where I come in.I'm on a quest to take those genius ideas we pin on pinterest and actually turn them into a reality!

For those of you not familiar with Pinterest - it may seem a bit daunting, or dare I say...uninteresting (EEEK!). But I promise you, it is neither! Yes, even I was a tad bit thrown off at the concept of Pinterest - what is the point - and also how to navigate through it. But once you get the hang of it you will LOVE it.

What is Pinterest?

So what the heck does Pinterest mean? 

It means you can go to this site www.pinterest.com , do an almost "Google" search of whatever it is you are looking for and get picture results that link to websites with recipes, articles, ideas, and products. Each picture is a pin.
Think of Pinterest as a giant bulletin board. Each member has their own individual bulletin board that also filters into this giant bulletin board.

What is a pin?

A pin is an image added to Pinterest. A pin can be a dded from a website using the Pin It button, or you can upload images from your computer. Each pin added using the Pin It button links back to the site it came from. Think of each pin as a photo you can actually take a push pin and push into your bulletin board. It also goes into the giant bulletin board of Pinterest as well.


What is a repin?


Think of a repin as this. You are looking over someone else bulletin board, and you see something that interests you. You take it down, make a photo copy of it, and then put it back. You take that photocopy and put it on your bulletin board. This also filters to the giant bulletin board.

What are boards?

Boards are quite literally your bulletin boards. It is as if you have a bulletin board for each category that you want to create. You can create as many or as few boards as you want. It's your own personal organization method at work!

How do you find anything?

You type in 'chicken' and get everything from chicken recipes, to chicken decor, to chicken costumes. Or you can search by category, 'food', 'diy', 'music' 'sports', etc. There is literally everything that encompasses your life on this site. Whether it's family, friends, pets, food, science, technology, business - wherever your interests lie, Pinterest has something for you! This is one of the reasons it's so addicting!
Did I mention it links with your Facebook friends so you can "follow" others and they can "follow" you? So you can browse through what they've been pinning!

Will I get arrested for stalking because I'm following someone?

No, it just means you get to see what pins they are putting on their board. Almost like "friending" someone on Facebook. It doesn't have to mean you are actually Ignore warningfriends with them!

Wikidpedia describes Pinterest as:"Pinterest is a pinboard-style social photo sharing website that allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, hobbies, and more. Users can browse other pinboards for inspiration, 're-pin' images to their own collections or 'like' photos. Pinterest's mission is to "connect everyone in the world through the 'things' they find interesting"[3] via a global platform of inspiration and idea sharing. Founded by Ben Silbermann, of West Des Moines, Iowa,[4] the site is managed by Cold Brew Labs and funded by a small group of entrepreneurs and inventors. It is one of the "fastest growing social services in the world."[5]Pinterest is a pinboard-style social photo sharing website that allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, hobbies, and more. Users can browse other pinboards for inspiration, 're-pin' images to their own collections or 'like' photos. Pinterest's mission is to "connect everyone in the world through the 'things' they find interesting"[3] via a global platform of inspiration and idea sharing. Founded by Ben Silbermann, of West Des Moines, Iowa,[4] the site is managed by Cold Brew Labs and funded by a small group of entrepreneurs and inventors. It is one of the "fastest growing social services in the world."[5]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinterest

Pinterest BOOMED in 2012