More Scary People of Walmart

I love to do a post every now and again of scary/funny/scary People of  Walmart. What amazes me is that the website has been up for awhile now and yet there are still people who look THIS scary. I woulda thought that by now they would've pulled it together or started shopping at Target. Alas...I was wrong.

Oh man...my stomach hurts from laughing!

Everyone Wins With Playstation Move! (Especially the kids)

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PlayStation MOVE. All opinions are 100% mine.

Between birthdays and Christmas it's always a challenge to find the perfect present for the kids. Why not purchase something that not only they can enjoy but that you can have with as well! 

Coming from a big family with four brothers video games was not only my mother's tactic to keep us at bay but to show off her own skills as well. I think that video games was the only thing that kept us from killing each other when we were younger and now it helps keeps my son entertained as well!

Everyone is going out and buying the Wii and boasting about how great it is because of it's uniqueness and because of the games that promote working out. Well if you are a Playstation fan like I am then you are in luck! Playstation Move has now come out with a similar feature taking it's video games to a new level! From games involving sports, action and shooter games to even workout games the entire family can get to enjoy.

So whether its buying Socom4 for the Mr., EyePet for the kids and Get Fit with Mel B (yes she has her own video game) for yourself everyone is bound to have a great time.

Are you on the move?

Mmmm Mac and Cheese!

Ok so it's 3:30 in the morning and I'm writing because it's the only quite/work time to be had because my son runs the day. Well while writing and checking out other blogs I came upon a blog that had a yummmmmy recipe for baked macaroni and cheese and it made me hungry. That's right- I want some mac and cheese at 4 in the morning. So instead of making some food and satisfying my early morning cravings I decided to find MORE recipes! That way I can be pumped up to make some this weekend.

Here are a few mouth watering recipes that I found:

From Three Kids and Us

(Mmmmmmm)

From That's So Yummy

Over the Rainbow Mac and Cheese

(Look at all that cheese!)

OMG a food critic website with the coolest name! 

 Mac & Cheese

(What the hell is that? I don't even know but I want some. Pass the dutchy on the left!)

From What We're Eating

This is called the Orgasmic Mac n' Cheese. I didn't even know that was possible...until I saw the photo. 

(Ooooh yeah!)

From 30 Days 30 Ways with Macaroni & Cheese

That's right, over 30 different ways to make mac & cheese.

(Are those scallops?? *mouth watering*)

From How Sweet It Is

Little Mac & Cheese cupcakes

(Yummmmm)

* Let me note here that some of the recipes I have found were plain and boring and even burnt. It was killing my mac & cheese buzz. Especially the ones that said "healthy". Cooome ooon.*

Then I found more!

From My Kitchen Snippets

It's in its own lil dish!

(That's right, fork it over to momma)

From a website actually named Stoner Food

Skillet Baked Mac & Cheese

 (Hell if this is stoner food then I'm down.)

 From Gourmet Traveler 88

Baked Crab and Spinach Mac & Cheese

(Baked what and what? How did they know those are my favorites?)

Ugh - I'M STARVING NOW!! I'm going to make every single one on this list. Except for the orgasmic one. Not only do I not know what shadookydocky mushrooms are but I don't think I want to feel "orgasmic" when eating mac & cheese. That's a little much. I'll just settle for "full".

Who wants to come over??

The Truth About Expiration Dates.

So while visiting my southern IL family for my friend's baby shower, I decided to make "mom" some breakfast, thinking I was going to make some eggs and pancakes for her since she has housed me during my visit. While I was prepping the pancake batter, I asked her one simple question: "Mom, are the eggs in the fridge still good?" to which she responded "I think so? Oh you girls and your expiration dates!"

Whaaaaaaaaaaa? That statement led me to check every item that I had eaten already and whatever I had started to use to prep the breakfast. Turns out the eggs expired in July, the butter was good for the rest of this month and the oil that she put in my pan expired March 16....of 2007.

Now I can understand how food can sit in a cabinet for awhile and while you don't have a reason to use it you don't want to waste it so it just becomes a feature in your fridge or cabinet but whoa! What's even crazier is after I tell my friend what Mom said she goes on to tell that her father-in-law cleaned out his pantry and brought over food for her and the family- one of the items being a jar of cherries....that expired in 1988. Apparently he thought they were still good because they were not opened. (For all those wandering, she threw them away.)

All of this got me a-thinkin: when does food really expire? Of course there are "expires by"  and "sell by" dates but when is the real "throw-this-in-the-garbage-immediately!" date?

Here is what I found as per About.com

• Milk. Usually fine until a week after the "Sell By" date.
• Eggs. OK for 3-5 weeks after you bring them home (assuming you bought them before the "sell by" date). VanLandingham says double-grade As will go down a grade in a week but still be perfectly edible.
• Poultry and seafood. Cook or freeze this within a day or two.
• Beef and pork. Cook or freeze within three to five days.
• Canned goods. Highly acidic foods like tomato sauce can keep 18 months or more. Low-acid foods like canned green beans are probably risk-free for up to five years. "You do not want to put cans in a hot place like a crawl space or garage," Peggy VanLaanen, EdD, RD, a professor of food and nutrition at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, tells WebMD. She suggests keeping canned and dry food at 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit in a dry, dark place. Humidity can be a factor in speeded-up deterioration. The FDA notes that taste, aroma, and appearance of food can change rapidly if the air conditioning fails in a home or warehouse. Obviously, cans bulging with bacteria growth should be discarded, no matter what the expiration date!

 

 

One great source to answer questions about expiration dates and shelf life is the website StillTasty.com. If you are curious how long food really last after the expiration date you can just visit the home page, type in the food that you are pondering about and not only will they cover any food that is relative to what you are asking but then you get a breakdown of how long the food will last in the fridge or in the freezer and tips how to make it last longer. Pretty cool huh?

 

StillTasty also helps to answer questions such as these:

• Should You Wash Grapes Before Storing Them?
• Does Pure Honey Ever Go Bad?
• Should You Store Bread on the Counter or in the Fridge?
• Is it OK to Put Hot Food Directly Into the Fridge?
• Is it OK to Refreeze Fish That Has Already Thawed?
• Is it Necessary to Rinse Raw Chicken Before Cooking It?
• I Left Pizza Out Overnight - Is It Still Safe to Eat?
• How Long Can You Keep a Thawed Turkey in the Fridge?

All really good questions, especially for us moms who want to make sure that we don't make our children sick. I must say that after finding these sites I do feel a lot better about being so particular and picky!

 

Disclosure:

*See mom, even though eggs might last for about a month you still gotta check the dates!*

Glidden Got the Job Done!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Glidden. All opinions are 100% mine.

After moving into our new apartment earlier this year, there are still so many projects that I still have yet to undertake and it's already the end of September! Between buying new furniture, installing new french doors and finally mounting the TV it's almost as if we've just moved in.

As an Interior Design graduate one of the things that I love most about designing a space is making an impact by one of the easiest solutions: painting! So much can be done just by adding color to a wall or to a room. Of course there are many different paint selections out there like Benjamin Moore and Bear but I must say that the one that I found to be the best so far has been Glidden.

Over the last few months I have spoken with a few moms regarding design for kids rooms and I have written a few blogs on great design tips on how to make a great modern room for boys and girls. Since doing so I have decided to paint my own sons room. I chose to do a few different hues of Glidden's blue and green and not only was I was able to make my selections using their paint samples that are available at Home Depot (I love Home Depot, if I could I'd marry it and be Mrs. Home Depot) but the samples dried much faster than other brands that I've used before.

I have moved and painted more times than Lady Gaga has outfits (yes that many) but this is my first time painting and having my son around. With him running around the house and not having availability to a babysitter I was worried about fumes and also him getting into the room and adding little design of his own into the wet paint.  Because the testers are so small I was not only able to keep it out of his reach but the containers also have a small brush included in the can, so there was no mess after I was done. What mom doesn't love convenience?

Once the room is complete I'll be sure to post the finished project for all to see (unless my boyfriend does it, then I'd have to get a professional to redo the room.)

Visit Glidden today to get inspired for your next projet!