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How to Make a Homemade Light Box

Need a light box for cleaning up your intricate sketches? Well here is a simple design that I stumbled upon while experimenting. The best part is that you don't have to plug it in and it is portable.

 

Things You'll Need:

* Sturdy square box with clear tight fitting plastic top.
* Hobby knife or scissors.
* Duct tape.
* Small flash light.
* A magic marker


Step 1

Find a sturdy square box with a clear plastic top. I think this one had a wallet in it. Take duct tape and secure the plastic top so that it doesn't shift or come off when you press on it.

Step 2

Take your flash light(smaller diameter than the depth of your box) and trace around the head of it on one of the 4 sides of the box. This is where you will insert the flashlight.

Step 3

Carefully cut out the space where you traced around the flashlight with a hobby knife or scissors.

Step 4

Lastly, place the box on a flat surface, clear side up) and insert the head of the flashlight through the hole you just cut. Turn on the flashlight and do your tracing on top. There you have it. A homemade light box. You don't have to plug it in and you can take it anywhere. Enjoy!


Tips & Warnings:


* You can store your flashlight inside the light box then just fish it out when your ready to work.

* Careful when cutting the hole in the side of the box. It can be tricky.

* Don't press too hard when doing your tracing or you will poke through the plastic top and ruin your light box.

How to Make a Quick and Easy Bachelor Sized Apple Fritter

 Is your mouth watering yet?











I have been cooking for good many years now but I have never really tried baking before up until about a year ago. Have you ever just had an almost empty fridge and a hunger for something so bad that you just had to try and make it yourself? Well this happens to me a lot. So here is my latest successful mouthwatering experiment.



Things You'll Need:

* 1/4 Cup Self rising flour
* 1 tsp shortening
* 1 tbsp melted butter
* 1/4 Cup Milk
* 1 to 2 tbsp Apple Butter
* 1 large bowl
* 1 baking sheet
* PAM or grease spray


Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Pour the 1/4 cup of self rising flour into the bowl. Drop 1 tsp of shortening in with the flour and dice it up into pea sized pieces. Melt 1 tbsp of butter and pour it in with the flour and shortening. (If you put the butter in a small glass microwave safe bowl and heat it in the microwave for about 15 seconds it should melt it perfectly.) Gently mix the flour, shortening, and butter together with a spoon. Then slowly add some milk and stir until the dough separates from the bowl and most of the flour in the bottom separates from the bowl and clings to the dough ball.

Step 2

Now make sure your hands are clean and gently knead the dough by hand. Just enough to where the dough doesn't fall apart and keeps its shape if you hold it in your hands. Once that is done, break the dough into 2 equal balls. Leave the balls in bowl and go wash off your hands.

Step 3

Grab the pan spray and lightly grease your baking sheet. You could also use olive or vegetable oil to lightly grease your baking sheet. Take one dough ball and gently flatten it out into a circle about 6 inches in diameter and place on the baking sheet. Spoon 1 to 2 tbsp of apple butter on the center of the flattened dough. Take the second ball of dough and flatten it into the same size and shape as the first ball of dough. Place it on top first piece of dough and the apple butter and gently press down on the edges to keep the apple butter inside during baking. bake in the oven until golden brown on top and doesn't fall apart when lifted from the edge with a spatula. 20 minutes or so. Then take it out with pot holders so not to burn yourself and let it set for 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 4
Time to eat. Plate the whole thing and chow down. Or put half or all of your fresh homemade apple fritter into a bowl and top with whipped cream or your favorite ice cream. Enjoy! I did! :0P

Tips and Warnings:


* Careful when using the oven. It is easy to burn yourself if you aren't careful.

* Use oven mitts or pot holders.

* Remember to let the apple fritter cool for a few minutes when you remove it from the oven.

* Careful when using the oven. It is easy to burn yourself if you aren't careful.

How to Crack a Black Walnut

The Black Walnut is a formidable foe when trying to crack but well worth the fight in my opinion. It has the most unique woodsy flavor.


Things You'll Need:

* Flat rock or hard piece of Wood
* Cloth or Paper towel
* Hammer or a Vice 4
* Power drill and long Mixer bit or long wooden stake
* 5 gallon Bucket
* Safety Goggles
* Fine Mesh Strainer
* Knife
* Waterproof gloves


Step 1

First you must remove the green hull that surrounds the shell of the Black Walnut. Use waterproof gloves because the hull will stain your hands for weeks. The hulls have been used for years for making dye. Take a knife and cut the hull off resulting in two halves of a sphere and the remove the shell.

Step 2

Fill the 5 gallon bucket with some water and drop a bunch of hulled walnuts in. Take the drill with the mixer bit and mix the shells around in the water to help remove remaining hull pieces or use the wooden stake in the same manner. Avoid splattering on your clothes.

Step 3

Next pour out the water and let the shells dry in the sun until thoroughly dry. This could take a week or so. Keep watch out for squirrels who steal the shells every chance they get.

Step 4

When the shells are dry. Store them in a cool,dark, ventilated place in layers of no more than 3 shells deep for about 4 months to cure. This will help separate the nut from the shell and develop the rich unique flavor of the nut inside.

Step 5

Before cracking, soak shells in hot water for 24 hours.
Hammer Cracking Method: Place shell vertically on a flat rock or hard piece of wood and wrap it in clean cloth or Paper towel. Hold the wrapped shell with one hand and hammer it with increasing pressure with the hammer until it cracks once. with luck the shell should crack in quarters. Unwrap the cracked shell and pick out the loose pieces. Then strain them under water with a fine mesh to wash off any small shell pieces. Then you are ready to savor the flavor.

Step 6

Vice Method: Place the shell in the vice vertically and place the bucket underneath to catch shell pieces when cracking. Crank the vice with one hand and hold the other hand beneath the vice to catch stray falling nut pieces. I am told that This method is more effective but have yet to try it myself. Separate the nut meat into a different container and strain it with a fine mesh strainer as stated above in the first method.

Step 7

Enjoy the fruits or NUTS of your labor.

Tips and Warnings:


* Use the cloth or paper towel to catch flying pieces when using the Hammer Method.

* Crack from top to bottom.

* Best to do most procedures outside.

* Use Eye protection if you insist on hammering the shell without wrapping it in a cloth or towel. I strongly recommend wrapping it.

* Hammers hurt when they hit your fingers! Be Careful!

How to Care for a Swollen Ankle

If you have ever had an ankle injury or just had a long day on your feet then you have probably experience ankle swelling to some degree. Just remembering a short acronym can have you back on your feet and ready to go in no time.

Things You'll Need:

• Ice pack or frozen bag of peas.
• Ace bandage wrap or slip over ankle brace.

Step 1

The Acronym that you need to remember is: R.I.C.E.

REST
ICE
COMPRESSION
ELEVATION

Step 2

Rest is very important with treating any injury. when your body is resting it is free from exertion which may aggravate the injury. Rest also allows the body to repair itself.

Step 3

Ice. Applied to a swollen ankle reduces swelling and decreases pain. You can put some ice in a zip-lock bag wrapped in a towel and apply it to the swelled ankle. Another option is a bag of frozen peas. If you can't stand the smell, you can get a reusable hot and cold pack at almost any pharmacy for less than 10 dollars.

Step 4

Compression helps prevent swelling and promotes healing. Compression helps relieve pain for some people. Wrapping the ankle in a generic ace bandage is useful especially when trying to keep an ice pack on the swollen area. One could also use a slip over elastic ankle brace that is more suited for use when one is going to be on ones feet.

Step 5

Elevation is very important. Elevation allows the blood to flow down away from the ankle and reduce the swelling. Elevation works best if the swelled area is raised above the heart. Try lying on the bed with a couple of pillows propped under the ankle or lean back in a recliner and prop some pillows under the ankle.

Tips & Warnings

• If ankle is not injured and just swollen elevate the ankle and try carefully tracing the alphabet with your toes and moving your ankle to help jump start the swelling reduction.
• A warm bath can help the healing process after the swelling has gone down.
• If your ankle has been injured it could take a couple of days for the swelling to go down.
• If swelling does not decrease after 48 hours an appointment should be made with your doctor.

How to Work Kidney Stone Prevention into Your Daily Life

Just about everyone I know has had a kidney stone and the number is growing. I started having Kidney stones 13 years ago. when they first started I had about 10 a year. This continued for 5 years and then tapered to 1 or 2 a year. With only one kidney I had to get to root of the problem. My doctor prescribed Uracit-K (very large pills) 2, 3 times a day. To help prevent stones from forming. I had to find an alternative. I found it 3 years ago.

Things You'll Need:

• Lots of Water
• Cranberry Juice
• Lemon Juice

Step 1

Definitely visit your doctor or urologist to determine the makeup of your stones. The doctor must have the lab examine one of the stones. There are 4 types of Kidney stones: Uric Acid(Acid),Calcium(Oxalate and phosphate),Struvite(Infection Stone),and Cystine(Cystine). Uric Acid stones are caused by a buildup of uric acid in the urine and also eating too much red meat. Diabetes could also contribute to this type of kidney stone. People with type 2 Diabetes have been found to have high levels of uric acid in their urine. Calcium Stones are caused by unused calcium deposited in the kidney that is not flushed out and forms a bond with either oxalate or phosphate in the kidney. Struvite stones are formed after an infection in the urinary tract and are made up of magnesium and ammonia. Cystine stones are caused by the presence of too much cystine in the urine. Cystine stones are rare and are caused by a genetic disease called cystinuria.

Step 2
One big factor in the production of kidney stones is dehydration. The best thing to do is drink plenty of water to help keep your kidneys flushed out so that no deposits can settle in them. 8 glasses of water a day are recommended. Drink even more if you can. I bought a 24 ounce thermos with a latched top and a wide mouth that is a little smaller and wider than a soda can opening. The wide mouth helps me consume a greater amount of water more quickly without really thinking about drinking more water and lets me fill up the container less often. I fill it up every morning and when I get home. I try to get water from another source with my lunch. That makes for about 4 to 5 glasses of water during work hours and then 2 or more when I return home. I also fill up my thermos and set it by my bed side when I go to sleep. If I wake up during the night I take a big gulp each time just to keep the process going. When you have had at least one kidney stone you can never have too much water. 

Step 3
I have had many doctors and tell me that cranberry juice helps prevent bacteria from sticking to and building up on tissue in the body. I try to drink an 8 ounce glass of cranberry juice every morning. I recommend drinking it in the morning instead of in the evening so that the acid from the cranberry juice and the bacteria it prevents from staying in your system can be flushed out during the course of the day. Drinking it at night can also cause heartburn. :P
I have also heard that white rice may help absorb and flush out your system.
Also,lemon juice contains natural citrate that is proven to help prevent Kidney stone formation.

Step 4
Now the big one! Drastically reduce caffeine intake...! This includes sodas, coffee, chocolate(I can't live without chocolate!),sweet southern tea,etc. Don't worry :) You don't necessarily have to cut it out all of these completely. Now being from The South I couldn't go anywhere without having someone offer me sweet tea and I was raised drinking sodas constantly and and yes I love chocolate. Most of these caffeine indulgences have caffeine free counterparts! Yay! Except for chocolate :0(
Its not going to be easy and it is probably going to be a slow process.
Don't give up! It will be worth it!
Start first with the water thermos. Find good one with the specs I described. Go for the water when thirst hits and take along a small amount of your other favorite caffeine indulgence and get a taste every now and then just to keep your sanity. Before you know it you'll be drinking more water and less caffeine. You'll feel a lot better once you break the caffeine addiction. When you go out to eat order your caffeine drink and water with lemon. Start off with a good dose of water and then you can enjoy a little of your caffeine drink. Always make sure you drink more water than caffeine drink. This will help your kidney's stay flushed out and you can still enjoy some of your favorite drink. As for the chocolate... Stay away from dark chocolate and only eat it in small amounts and make it a rarity. It may be good for your immune system but not worth a kidney stone! I eat the equivalent of 1 to 2 chocolate bars a day. I haven't kicked the addiction yet:p I have had no kidney stones in the last 3 years and only 1 bad infection per year the last 3 years. I'd say that's progress. Eh?!! Keep plugging at it and figure out what works for you. Take it slowly like I said. With luck and determination you will be in the clear in no time. NOW GO FIGHT THOSE STONES!!!! ;O)

Tips & Warnings

• Drink plenty of water(8 or more glasses daily).
• Use a 24 ounce wide mouth thermos with a finger loop handle.
• Try drinking just 1 glass of cranberry juice every morning.
• find some Lemonade that you like. I suggest making your own or just toss some slices in your water.
• Drastically reduce your consumption of dehydrating drinks such as sodas and coffee.
• Drastically reduce your caffeine intake. Kidneys have to work overtime to process caffeine which makes it harder to keep urine clear.
• Try to incorporate more clear and caffeine free beverages.
• Get some exercise. Moving around reduces the risk of small stones settling in your urinary tract and forming lager impassable stones.
• Don't drink too much cranberry juice because excessive amounts go go against your efforts.
• Avoid Dark Chocolate.
• Ditch the caffeine.

How to Make Easy Homemade Reese Cups

Ever want a Reese cup and not feel like running out to the store just for some candy?
After reading this article those days will be over.

Things You'll Need:

• 2 Small dessert bowls
• Plastic wrap
• Regular Teaspoon
• Microwave
• Freezer
• Semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• Peanut Butter
• Pot holders or oven mitts

Step 1

Grab your small dessert bowl and line it with plastic wrap.
Melt 1 Tsp of semi-sweet chocolate morsels in the other (No Plastic Wrap) small(microwave safe)bowl in the microwave. It should only take a minute. Microwave 10 and 20 seconds at a time. Results may vary between microwaves. Check the chocolate often and stop to stir the morsels so they will not burn.

Step 2

Once the morsels are melted, carefully remove from the microwave. (The bowl will be very hot to the touch.) Spoon the chocolate into the plastic lined bowl. Let the chocolate cool to about room temperature. chocolate cools pretty quickly.

Step 3

Take 1/2 Tsp of your favorite peanut butter and spoon it on the top center of the cooled chocolate in your plastic lined bowl. Leave room around the peanut butter for the rest of the chocolate shell.

Step 4

In the microwave, melt 2 Tsp of semi-sweet chocolate morsel in the first desert bowl as in step 1, checking every few seconds and stirring so not to burn. Then carefully remove the hot bowl and spoon the melted chocolate on top of the peanut butter in the plastic lined bowl. Make sure to cover and surround the peanut butter and make the surface as smooth as you can.

Step 5

Let the whole thing cool to room temperature. I know all this waiting is torture... So... feel free to lick the bowl that you melted the chocolate in clean. OK. Once the chocolate is room temperature and the bowl is cool to the touch(DON'T WANT THE BOWL TO CRACK),its time go in the freezer. Don't cover it if you can help it. If you do, don't let anything touch the chocolate and mess up your nice smooth surface. Let it stay in the freezer for about 30 minutes or more until the chocolate feels firm, cold, and you can't easily make a fingerprint in it.
Step 6

Now, the moment of truth. Remove the bowl from the freezer and lift your new peanut butter cup out of the bowl with a few gentle upward tugs on the plastic wrap. Now you have your own homemade Reese cup and the plastic wrap has made ridges on the outside. I suggest letting it warm up to room temperature before you bite into it. It gets pretty hard depending on how long you keep it in the freezer. You can keep it wrapped up in the plastic for later or chow down and make some more for later.

Tips & Warnings

• Use oven mitts when removing the bowl from the microwave.
• Place a pot holder under the bowl that you are pouring the melted chocolate into.
• If you have enough room in your freezer you could try making a bunch at a time in a muffin tin.
• Experiment with different kinds of chocolate and maybe, dare I say it... chunky peanut butter!
• Be very careful when dealing with hot containers and contents.
• Don't put hot or warm containers in the freezer. Glass and ceramic containers can crack when going from hot to cold or cold to hot environments too quickly.

How to Germinate an Orange Seed

Have you ever wanted your own orange tree? Its the perfect hobby for the Summer! I have never been too keen on eating oranges but this spring I discovered that eating an orange in the morning drastically my sensitivity to allergens. So I decided to try and grow an orange tree from the seed. Here is how I did it. Its a really neat process.

Things You'll Need:

• medium zip-lock bag
• fresh orange
• damp paper towel
• bowl
• windowsill.
• A little patience
• Fingernail Clippers

Step 1

cut open your orange and remove the seeds. Promptly place them in a bowl of water at room temperature over night. The next day it will be time to remove the outer white covering of the seed. Fingernails are helpful in this process. Its a little tedious because the seeds are so slippery and hard to keep hold of. Put the seed on a towel or a bath cloth to help it stay put. Try to punch a hole in the white covering with your fingernails and pull it apart without damaging the seed inside or gently cut the edge with a knife or scissors or fingernail clippers.

Step 2

Once the white cover is removed. You will have a pale brown seed with a smooth but graspable surface. Remove the white cover from all of your seeds. dampen a paper-towel and fold it in half. Place the seeds between the fold and put the whole thing in a zip-lock bag. *Leave the bag open!* A lot of people writing these tree germination articles online don't stress this enough.

Step 3

Place the zip-lock bag with your seeds tucked in the damp paper towel in a warm sunny window. Check every day to make sure the paper towel is damp but not soaked. Your seeds should start opening up in about 7 to 14 days. I germinated 3 orange seeds this way. All of them did fine. I found this to be a really fun experience.

Step 4

If you want to take it one step further grab a some planter trays or some empty yogurt containers. (they make excellent planters) poke two small drainage holes in the bottom and fill with seed starter or potting mix. Place your seed in the yogurt container and cover the whole seed case and make sure your seedling stem is above the soil. place it outside on your porch or in a sunny window. shade it from direct mid-day sunlight and in a couple of weeks you'll have two small green leaves on your orange tree. It probably wont produce fruit like the orange you took it from but who knows... it could be even better. It will be years before the fruit appears but I hear that orange trees give off a wonderful fragrance even before they produce fruit. remember to move your tree indoors if you have cold winters if possible. I hope you have fun with this. I am!

Step 5

Please leave a comment if this article was helpful or interesting to you. I like to know what people think of my articles good or bad.

Tips & Warnings

• It helps to be creative when removing the white covering from the orange seed.
• Take seeds directly from the orange and don't let them dry out.
• Have fun!
• Your patience will pay off.
• OH! Just remembered this! Try using FINGERNAIL CLIPPERS to cut the edge off of the white seed covering!
• Be careful when removing the white seed covering. Slippery objects and sharp objects don't mix to well. Be safe and don't get in a hurry.

How to Make Traditional Tuna Salad With An Asian Twist

Sometimes ... well a lot of times I get bored eating the same old thing and try to mix it up a bit by taking basic recipes and adding my own twist to them. I was also looking for a way to cut through the fishy taste of canned tuna. Check it out.

Things You'll Need:

• 2 (6 ounce) cans of tuna packed in water.
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.
• 2 tablespoons of minced pickles dill or sweet.
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 boiled eggs shelled and minced
• 2 tablespoons of peeled and minced ginger root.
• 4 tablespoons of soy sauce.

Step 1

Use a hand cranked or electric can opener to open the tuna containers and drain the water from the tuna.

Step 2

Empty drained tuna into a large bowl.

Step 3

Mix in, one at a time, lemon juice, minced pickles, mayonnaise, minced boiled eggs, peeled minced garlic, ground black pepper, and soy sauce.

Step 4

You can eat this wonderful concoction as soon as you are done mixing or you can put a lid on it and refrigerate it for later. Makes 2 to 4 servings respectively. Enjoy! I prefer mine spread between two toasted slices of sourdough bread. Try it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

Tips & Warnings

• Try mixing in the mayonnaise last. That way the tuna has a chance to absorb the lemon juice, ginger, and soy sauce for maximum flavor.
• Careful when draining and removing the tuna from the can. The lid is very sharp. never thought I would cut myself on one of those can tops but it eventually happened and it was a surprisingly deep cut. So keep your wits about you.

How to Buy Quality Crutch Tips

If you have used crutches for any length of time during your life then you recognize the great importance of quality made durable long-lasting crutch tips. I have used crutches for over 20 years. Crutch tips act as your "feet" and a certain trust must be developed if you ever expect to walk with assurance that your "feet" aren't going to slip right out from under you. Its like walking on egg-shells and taking baby steps until you find that crutch tip that make you actually feel comfortable walking on your crutches. But once you find them you will know they are for you. You will be able to take your mind off of your footing and focus on the world around you. I hope this article helps.

Things You'll Need:

• Phone book or the internet
• Search engine such as anywho.com or yahoo.com/yellowpages or one of your choosing.

Step 1

When searching for quality crutch tips I have learned one thing. Quality crutch tips are not so easy to find. It is a game of trial and error. You probably don't have a lot of crutch using friends to bounce questions about crutch tip selection off of. And not to be mean, but most Health-care Professionals, Physical Therapists, and Occupational Therapists haven't the slightest clue as to what crutch tips will last more than a week or so.

Step 2

When shopping for crutch tips you can already check most places off of your list. Places like Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Walgreen, and your other major pharmacy stores all carry one product that in my opinion is a complete waste of your money. This product is Futuro crutch tips. I only buy them in an extreme emergency because the last about 2 weeks at most. A quality crutch tip should last at least a 4 weeks and some 2 to 3 months or more. You can get a quality pair of crutch tips for around 4 or 5 dollars that will last at minimum 4 weeks and this is how.


Step 3
You want a large thick rubber crutch tip with a large base and a metal plate in the bottom on the inside. The large base gives you more traction, maneuverability and stability. The plate helps keep the cylinder at the base of the crutch from wearing through the rubber and digging a hole right through your crutch tip.

Step 4

Now you know what you are looking for. Get out your phone book or go to your favorite yellow pages search engine and search for Apothecaries (they are your best bet) in your area. Call each one and Ask if they carry any crutch tips matching the description in step 3 above. Once you have located a few or even one brand, pick one or 2 and try them out. keep the boxes until you have discovered which pair is most durable, last the longest, and feels comfortable to you.

Tips & Warnings

• One brand that I have come to trust is Neva-slip. I found them at my local Apothecary for about 5 dollars a pair.
• Always get large crutch tips for your crutches for stability and traction.
• Check out the link below to see an example of a Nev-a-slip large crutch tip example. I in no way endorse this site nor have I used it. I strongly suggest going to your local Apothecary because they are cheaper and you can see exactly what you are buying be for you give up your hard earned cash.
• If you start feeling like you are walking on a metal peg and you hear a thumping sound when your crutch tip hits the ground then check the bottom. The crutch is probably cutting through your crutch tip and it is time to replace the tip. If this happens after only 2 or three weeks of using the crutch tips then you better change brands and tips soon because you have a bad set. Your shoulders will thank you!

How to Lure Fire Ants From Your Garden

Fire ants built their hill right in my sweet potatoes last year. I found out that ants are attracted to electricity. So I came up with a solution with some things just lying around the house.

Things You'll Need:

* One or more Solar powered lawn lamps.
* Thick Work Gloves (optional).

Step 1
First of all,you can get Solar lamps for your walkways just about anywhere like Wal-mart, Lowe's, K-mart, any hardware store. They come in packs. I use the plastic ones.

Step 2

Assemble one of the lamps (They are pretty strait forward) and stake it down outside of your garden area but as near as you can get it to the ant hill in your garden. The ants will be attracted to the lamp and in a week or so they will have their nest built around the lamp.

Step 3

Slowly repeat this process to get the fire ants out of the way so you can tend to your garden. You've got enough weeds to worry about without fooling with fire ants.

Tips & Warnings

• This worked for me so I suggest you give it a shot.
• You can use multiple lamps if there are multiple fire ant hills in your garden.
• The lamp will most likely be full of dirt and fire ants when you remove it from the fire ant hill.
• Be careful when removing the lamp from the fire ant hill once they build around it.
• Good Idea To Wear Thick Work Gloves.
• You have to grab onto the lamp,yank it up, and toss it away from the ant hill preferably onto some grass so not to damage the lamp. Let it sit for a moment and let some of the ants crawl off. Determine another spot a few feet further from the ant hill and further from your garden that is out of your way. Then quickly and lightly grab the lamp and stake it in the new location. A week or so later they will have moved and built a new hill around the new lamp location.

How to Make the Perfect Cucumber Sandwich

This article will change the way you think of a cucumber sandwich forever. It is in no way traditional but don't knock it till you've tried it. You may never eat a regular cucumber sandwich ever again.

Things You'll Need:

• 2 Sour Dough bread slices
• Cucumber
• Slice of American Cheese
• Powdered Cayenne Pepper(to taste)
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 piece of bacon
• Microwave
• Microwave safe plate
• 2 Paper Towel Sheets
• Oven and Shallow Baking Sheet or Pan.

Step 1

Preheat your oven to Bake at 450 degrees.
Cut 2 slices of store bought or homemade sourdough bread. Then wash a cucumber and slice it so the pieces are thin and circular. Slice enough pieces to cover one slice of your sour dough bread.

Step 2

Cover a microwave safe plate with one paper towel. Stretch a slice of raw bacon flat on the paper towel and then wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling the raw bacon. Place the other paper towel on top of the bacon and then cook in the microwave for 1 to 1.5 minutes or until the bacon is crisp.


Step 3

Place your sourdough slices beside each other on a shallow baking pan. place the cucumber slices on one piece of the bread( not too thick, just one layer, flat or domino form like the picture). Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Place a slice of American cheese on top of the cucumber slices and slide the pan in the oven. The goal is to get the bread slightly toasted on the bottom and golden brown and you have to melt the cheese of course. This should take 15 to 20 minutes depending on your oven so keep a close eye on it. Take the pan out of the oven and lift the empty bread slice to check the underside of the toast with a spatula. Don't forget your pot holders when handling hot pans.

Step 4


Once your cheese is melted and your bread is golden brown it is time to plate the sandwich. Lift the cucumber filled sandwich side with a spatula and put it on your plate. check to see if your bacon is done. if it is, remove it from between the grease filled paper towel sheets and break it in two pieces. Place the bacon on top of the melted cheese and cucumbers and cover with the remaining piece of sourdough bread(golden brown side on the outside).

Step 5

Enjoy the fruits of your labor. I survived on this very sandwich through 4 years of college. It's filling, delicious, and perfect for a tight budget. Cheers!

Tips & Warnings

• Enjoy!
• Careful when handling raw meat. Wash your hands before and after with soap and water.
• Make sure to use pot holders to keep from burning yourself on the oven or hot pans.
• Don't forget to turn your oven off.
• Use a cutting board to protect your counter top.

How to Make Easy Garden Fresh Tomato Soup

My sister gave me a basic version of her tomato soup. I made a few changes and put my own spin on it. This was my first attempt at tomato soup. Enjoy! I definitely did. I can't get enough of the stuff now.

Things You'll Need:

* 8 large tomatoes(4 cups skinned and chopped fine)
* 4 cups of milk or equal to tomatoes after chopped.
* 1 large yellow or white onion(not sweet)chopped fine
* 3 green bell peppers chopped fine.
* 1 garlic clove chopped fine.
* 1 tbsp baking soda
* 1 tbsp Olive Oil
* 10 medium sizes basil leaves.
* sea salt and pepper to taste
* 1 large cucumber peeled and chopped fine.
* 1 serrated knife
* 1 potato masher(optional)
* 1 large pot
* 1 blender(optional)
* 2 tbsp butter

Step 1

Peel the skin off of the tomatoes with a serrated knife and cut off the top leafy core. If you want you can blanch the tomatoes for a few minutes and the skin comes off more easily but I was too lazy for this so I just peeled them and chopped them fine with a knife and discarding the peelings into the trash.

Step 2

Combine 1 chopped onion, 3 chopped green peppers, 1 chopped garlic clove and 2 tbsp of butter to large pot. Heat on medium to medium high,stirring occasionally, until ingredients are soft and they start to caramelize.

Step 3

Next add your fresh skinned and chopped tomatoes into the pot with carmelized onion,green peppers, and garlic. Add 1 tbsp of baking soda. Allow tomatoes to cook down and get a little softer. Use potato masher to help breakup the tomato pieces and mix all of the flavors together.

Step 4

Reduce heat and add 4 cups of milk or equivalent to volume of tomatoes. Then add 10 medium basil leaves. Let simmer on medium low for about an hour to an hour and a half, but do not let it boil. Stir occasionally.

Step 5

Once the simmering is done and ingredients have started to meld together, it is time to mix in the large skinned and finely chopped cucumber. Add sea salt and pepper to taste and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Makes about 8 servings. You can serve it fresh or let it cool down and chill it over night in the fridge. Ladle the soup into a blender(be careful if it is still hot) and puree if you want a creamier soup. I prefer the soup puree. I hope you'll try this out for yourself. It goes perfect with a grilled or toasted cheese sandwich. Enjoy.

Tips & Warnings

* After chilling over night, the soup can be ladled into bowls or tea cups and microwave for about 2 minutes depending on your microwave.

*If you blanch tomatoes to remove skins easier, be careful to rinse them with cold water to cool them down before removing the skins.

* Be careful when pouring hot liquids.

* Be sure to cover the soup while microwaving to avoid splattering.

* Soup and container will be hot after microwaving. Use a pot holder or similar item to remove soup from microwave.

How to Make a Homemade Fleatrap

Do you suffer from fleas getting in your house during the summer? I do and I found a good solution. I'll show you how to make a very simple flea trap.

Things You'll Need:

* The Top of a Plastic Solar Path Light
* Small See through Plastic Cup.
* Scissors
* One AA Battery


Step 1


Underside of Solar Path Light

I don't like the Idea of leaving an electric lamp hovering over a container of water while I'm sleeping for obvious fire hazard reasons. So Here is what I cooked up.
Screw the top off of a Plastic Solar powered Path Light. There is a small LED light on under side & a battery slot.


Step 2


Hole in Plastic Cup with Water and Dishsoap in the bottom.

Cut a large square out of one side of a small translucent plastic cup(You know the ones you buy in the plastic bags by the dozens). Cut the square about 1 inch down from the lip of the cup and leave about 2 to 3 inches at the bottom of the cup.

Step 3


Finished product. Now was that easy or what?

Put a AA Battery in the Solar light top.
fill the cup with water about 1 inch deep.
Drip in a drop of liquid dish soap to break the surface tension of the water so the fleas will sink to the bottom. No need to mix it up.
Place the cup with the in the problem room(Preferably near a sunny window)and place Solar Path Light on top. At night fleas will be drawn to the light, jump in, and drown. Now you don't have to worry about starting a fire. Move the trap from room to room as needed and flush dead fleas and refill water solution as needed. Hope this helps.

Tips & Warnings


* By leaving this handy trap near a sunny window it will charge the battery during the day light the way of doom for the fleas by night. Happy hunting!

* Make sure that the AA Battery is securely installed into the Solar Light Top. We don't want it falling into the water but that shouldn't happen It is quite hard to force them out when you are trying to.

How to convert Cassette tapes to CDs

Things you will need:
1. Cassette player with headphone jack
2. One double male 3.5mm audio cord
3. Computer with microphone jack
4. Audacity(Free Audio recording and editing software)
5. A blank CD-R,CD+R
6. CD burning software

1. Download and install Audacity to your computer from here.

2. Place the cassette tape in the player and make sure it is rewound to the begining of the tape.

3. Plug one end of the double male 3.5mm audio cord in the headphone jack of the cassette player and plug the other end into the microphone jack of the computer.

4. Run audacity and Click "File", "Save Project As" and enter the name of the cassette and the side number that you are going to convert.

5. Press the record button in Audacity. Then promptly press the play button on the cassette player. After the cassette has played through on one side, press the "Stop" button in Audacity to stop recording. Now click "File", "Save Project".

6. To record the other side of the cassette just flip the cassette and repeat step 5 saving with the same name but different side number. (Example "Artist Name-Album Name Side 2")

You will notice blue vertical lines on the bottom half of the audacity window. The vertical lines represent the recorded sound. The horizontal lines in between indicate silence or breaks between the different songs on a cassette.

7. Start at the begining of the lines on the left. Left click with your mouse and drag right from one horizontal line to the next.You have now highlighted the first track or song on one side of the cassette. Click "File", "Export Selection As MP3" and save it with its respective track or song title.

Repeat step 7 for each group of vertical lines on one project till all the track or songs for one side of the cassette are exported as mp3 files. Then Open the Previous project and do the same thing to complete separating all of the tracks or songs from the cassette into its own MP3 file.

Now that all of your tracks are separated you are ready to burn a music CD.

I am using Free Easy CD DVD Burner. You can download and install it from here

Make sure you put a blank CD-R in your CD burner.
Open Free Easy CD DVD burner and click on "Audio CD" up top.
Click "Add files to Project". Locate and select the MP3 files that you just exported from Audacity. Then press "Open". The Mp3 files are now listed as files to be burned to your Music CD. Click "Burn" in the box labeled "Action" to start the final process. After the burning has finished you should have a fully functional Music CD and be able to switch from track to track with ease in any standard CD player.