Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I have no idea what these are called other than Stuffed Chicken Breasts. I made them up myself, and man are they good! It's really simple and everyone really likes them.

You'll need:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - thawed
Stove Top stuffing (chicken flavor) made according to box directions
Ranch dressing

Split the chicken breasts in half 3/4 of the way lengthwise.

Spoon stuffing mix into each chicken breast.

Place chicken in a shallow baking pan and coat each one with ranch dressing.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350º until chicken is almost cooked through. Uncover and finish baking.

Last time I made this, we had scalloped potatoes and steamed veggies with it.

Enjoy!

Give Your Home Some Personality!

First impressions are very important. What a guest sees and smells when they first walk into your home will determine how long they stay, and whether they want to come back again. If your house is clean and smells good, a guest will be more inclined to stay longer, and come back more often.

There are many ways to make your house smell good. Commercial products made from essential oils and perfumes can make your home smell any way you want. Set an apple-cinnamon scented air freshener on the counter in your kitchen. Plug in a floral bouquet in your living room. Make your bathroom smell as fresh as an ocean breeze, with a night light to boot! You're really only limited by your imagination.

Scented candles not only add fragrance to your home, they also add ambiance. Your home will smell wonderful and feel inviting all at the same time. If you don't like the idea of burning candles, you can always use a candle warmer. It's like a hot plate for candles. You set the candle on it, and rather than lighting it to release the aroma, the warmer melts the wax releasing the fragrance into the air without the danger of an open flame. You also get more life out of your candles by using a warmer.

Another decorative and fragrant idea is to place potpourri in a bowl anywhere in your home that needs it. Potpourri smells great, and makes for for a beautiful decoration on counter tops and tables. Use potpourri in a simmering pot with some water and smell the fragrance come alive!

For those that don't like the stronger odors of air fresheners, there are odor neutralizers. Sprays for the air and furniture specifically made to neutralize bacteria that causes odor. Rather than saturating the air with fragrance, they eliminate odors from the air, leaving a fresh, clean scent.

Whatever route you choose, give your house a personality. Your guests will notice as soon as they walk in the door, and the first impression will be a good one!

More Than One Bathroom

Do you have more than one bathroom? On different floors? To make cleaning (and keeping them clean) easier, keep cleaners in each bathroom. Buy a toilet brush and sponges for each bathroom, and keep everything under the sink. This way, you won't be hauling bottles of cleaners and supplies upstairs or downstairs, and everything will be right at hand for a quick swipe every other day to freshen up.

For an even easier way to keep your toilets fresh, buy a toilet brush that comes with its own holder that you can put a couple of inches of diluted toilet bowl cleaner in. Keep the brush in its holder next to your toilet for easy reach. Run the cleaner soaked brush around the bowl once a day to keep them sparkling.

Doing a quick swipe of the toilet and counter tops at least every other day in the bathroom will cut down on the time you spend in there deep cleaning.

Budding Artist?

Has your little artist used his favorite colored crayon to create a work of art on your living room walls? Rather than squash his creativity, use these tips for removing the artwork.

WD-40 does wonders! Spray the marks and wipe them away. If the WD-40 leaves a residue, wipe it clean with a soapy sponge, rinse, and dry.

If the stain is stubborn, use a little baking soda on a damp sponge in a circular motion to gently scrub it away.

A hair dryer pointed on the marks will melt the wax, allowing you to wipe them clean.

If any color remains, like red will sometimes, wet a cloth with bleach and wipe.

Using these tips will make it less of a disaster when your little one decides to express himself on your walls.

Small Room? Make It Appear Larger

To make a small room appear larger, there are a couple of things you can do. Light colors give the illusion of space. Light colored walls will make the room feel bigger, more open.

Another solution to this problem is to use mirrors. A large mirror or mirrors on the biggest wall will make the room appear larger. Mirrors also help a room without the benefit of windows to feel more open and bright.

The use of light colored curtains or even lace panels will do wonders for a small, dark room. Instead of heavy curtains, try using venetian blinds and lace panels to cover your windows. They will let light in without decreasing privacy. Light will make a small space seem bigger.

Using these tips will surely help to create a feeling of spaciousness and openess in your home.

Mold On Your Window Sills?

Winter in Wisconsin can be hard on windows. The cold outside and the warm inside produces condensation which leads to mold growing on the sills. You can put plastic on the windows to insulate them, but mold still forms. This mold isn't particularly dangerous, but it is unsightly. There's an easy way to get rid of it.

Combine a weak solution of one part bleach with ten parts water in a spray bottle. Spray the window sill and let it sit for about 15 minutes. When you come back, you'll see that the mold has already started to vanish. Using a wet cloth, wipe the entire frame clean. An old toothbrush comes in handy for getting in the corners. The mold should just wipe right off with little or no effort.

If you have sensitive skin, I recommend using some rubber gloves when doing this. When you're done, wash your hands thoroughly to avoid any rashes or irritated skin.

This method works well in the bathroom too, where humidity from showering causes mold to grow on walls and ceilings.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

This recipe originally called for tuna, but since my kids don't like tuna, I substituted some leftover boneless chicken breasts from the night before. I'm sure it's delicious either way!

• 2 boneless chicken breasts cooked and cubed (or two cans of drained tuna)
• a box of large shell pasta
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 1 can of cream of celery soup
• 1 pound of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 bag of frozen veggies (I used the broccoli/califlower/carrot mix)

Boil the pasta to your desired tenderness. Combine everything in a large casserole dish. Make sure it's a big one because this recipe makes alot! Pop it in a 350º oven for about 45 minutes. Let it sit for 5 minutes after taking it out of the oven, serve, and enjoy!

Vinegar

I'm going to start my blog off with what I consider to be the number one staple in my house. No household should be without it.

White vinegar has so many uses. It kills bacteria. It whitens. It brightens. Its really has no limitations.

• Use 1/4 cup in each load of laundry to whiten the whites and brighten the colors. It even gets rid of that funky smell in my husband, Mike's work clothes. He's a machinist, and his clothes have this machine smell that doesn't go away with just detergent. Vinegar takes care of it.

• Put a 50/50 mixture of water and vinegar in a spray bottle. Keep it in your bathroom to spray the shower walls after each shower. It helps keep the walls clean, and deters the hard water stains. It also deters mold growth.

• Add vinegar to the port in your dishwasher door to keep those water spots away in the final rinse. Dishes will be sparkling clean with no dried on water spots.

• Add it to your dishwater in the sink for the same sparkling results when washing dishes by hand.

• Add vinegar to your mop water. Your floors have never looked so clean!

• Put 1/4 cup vinegar in your carpet cleaner along with the soap. Your carpets will be extra clean, and any odors will be gone!

• Spray your furniture with a mild mixture of water and vinegar to get rid of pet odors. Be sure to let it dry before sitting on it!

It's amazing what vinegar can be used for. It's cheaper, and not to mention safer than most of the household cleaners we buy in the stores. I buy it by the gallon. I keep a gallon in the basement next to the washer, a gallon in the kitchen, and a gallon under the bathroom sink.

If you're concerned about the smell, don't be. Once vinegar dries, the smell is gone, and all that's left is a fresh, clean smell.

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