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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.