Friday Favorites

I love using my slow cooker around the holidays as they save oven space for things I really need/want in the oven.

Here are some links for recipes to use with your slow cooker at Thanksgiving....

Make-Ahead or Crockpot Recipes Can Help with Timing for Thanksgiving Dinner - a great list of recipes 

7 Thanksgiving Recipes You can Make in Your Crock Pot 

4 Slow-Cooker Side Dishes for an Incredibly Easy Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving Slow Cooker Recipes from About.com

BHG Thanksgiving Slow Cooker Recipes

Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipes for the Slow Cooker

Friday Favorites

This Friday Favorite is going to be just some recipes I would like to try that are for slow cookers...

Sugared Pecans - I think not only would these be really delicious, but would make a great gift for the holidays coming up.

Broccoli Beef -  looks even better then take-out to me!  The amount of beef to me would make it serve more then 4 with the broccoli and if serving over rice too - makes things stretch.

Provençal Beef Daube -  you can see by the recipe all the flavors that  this recipe would come together to taste amazing

Cranberry Pork Roast - again the flavors together sound so good

Apple Dumplings -  desserts are often something I forget can be made in a crockpot

Autumn Treats

Here are just a few sweet treats we have already posted on the blog in years past....plus a few links at the bottom from elsewhere that look good too.

1. Pumpkin Cheesecake

2. Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Icing

3. Raisin Spice Cookies

4. Snickerdoodle Pie

5. Snickerdoodle Bars

6. Pumpkin Wonton

7. Vanilla Crumb Cake

8. Apple Butter (no photo)

A few treats I found via Pinterest....

Cinnamon Apple Dessert Chimichangas

Petite Pumpkin Donuts

 Caramel Apple Crumb Bars

Whole Wheat Spice Latte Pumpkin Muffins

Scarecrow Crunch

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Simplest Apple Tart

Friday Favorites

Shorten Jeans and Keep the original hem - This is a fabulous way to keep the original hem on pants or jeans but still make alterations to them.

Use a Golf Tee to Fix a Door Hinge  - how to fix that wiggle door when the screw has been stripped and left with a hole that won't hold anything

10 Simple Things to Make You Happier at Home  - nice list of simple things

Learn to Sew - an eight part series on learning to sew

Heirloom Tomato Pizza - from Martha Stewart

Friday Favorites

Warm Black Bean Dip - with football season here having an afternoon snack with the game is a must so this recipe looks pretty good for that

Free Wash Cloth Patterns - knitted wash clothes - I know both the crocheted and knitted washcloths I have received as gifts are some of my favorite wash clothes.

Storage Boxes - she just covered ordinary boxes in jute to make cute storage boxes (she has another photo of them here)

10 Recipes using Ground Beef - we always seem to have some ground beef or turkey in the freezer so having some recipes to refer to is always a good idea when in a pinch and needing a meal. These might help you find some go-to dishes and it looks like none of them use a cream of something soup...which although very convenient is a nice change.

How to Paint a Door like a Pro - Our front door is in desperate need of painting. The sun hits it all year around - and heats it up and creates sun spots which eventually lead to cracking in the paint and then flaking. I can't hang a wreath on our front door or anything really because it melts it not matter what it is made out of it something always melts on it - glue or other materials it is made out of so the sun is not my friend for the front door. So really needing that how-to as it is that time to paint the door.

Friday Favorites

Feta, Cheddar and Spinach Muffins - They look pretty and sound tasty
Plywood Painted Floor - seems like a way that would be inexpensive but able to cover up some ugly flooring 
Guide to Knives that you Actually need - getting my knives up to what I think I need has been a task I have been working for several years. 
Blank Printable Calendar - to help get more organized - would be great if you do a household binder. 
Adding a New Tree to your Landscape - video has tips for planting trees

Friday Favorites

DIY Drop Cloth Stenciled Curtains  -  I think this would be an inexpensive way to replace curtains throughout the house.  I just wonder if they look as nice as they do in the photo as I really am thinking this is something I am going to do for our bedroom and the kitchen and dining room.

Staining Oak Cabinets Espresso  - again something I would love to do and this blog makes it look not as difficult as I thought it would be

Organization Board Tutorial -  a board with all the things  I need in one place. Very stylish too! I love the idea of putting them in frames and using them as dry erase boards with the printable check list under the glass.

Clean and Regrease a Kitchen Aid Mixer  - just something that might be helpful to those of us with Kitchen Aid Mixers

Thai Peanut Slaw - this is a different recipe then I usually see...I love the thought of the dressing. I really want to try this and add some grilled chicken to it for a good summer time meal

Friday Favorites

Mojito Cheesecake Bites - when I shared this earlier this week with someone she called me an evil temptress. I can think of worse things to be called. :) They looks so good how could I not share!

Mother Earth News Canning Guide - shares the science behind it, why we should can, lots of resources and recipes. 

How to Clean Stoneware - I think this sounds interesting. There are times I wish my stoneware was clean again. But I do like the baked on look it has - makes it easier to peel things off of it too. But do read the comments on this one too. I saw at least one comment talk about their stoneware broke in the high heat.

DIY Body Butter Recipes - I have been looking through a lot of body lotion recipes. I have been wanting to make my own for a long time as I break out from so many lotions on the store shelves because of added scents and no doubt other ingredients I don't understand on the list of ingredients. I was also gifted a block of beeswax not too long ago so put me on the path to looking into this sooner than later.  So hopefully I will have some photos and recipe posted here soon. But at least wanted to share this link for now. 

Coursera - they partner with top universities to offer FREE classes. Many don't deal with domestic arts but some might come in use in household management such as some of the nutritional classes or finance. 

Friday Favorites

Bead Board Ceiling
50 Grilling Recipe
16 Party Bar Ideas
Natural Body Moisturizer 
Sunset Sangria Recipe

Friday Favorites

Outdoor Blanket - love this idea to use for picnics and just sitting in the lawn
DIY Outdoor Movie Get Together - links to lots of ideas to use at an outdoor movie party
Out of the Box Food - a site that gives you alternatives to processed "kid" food
Chicken Stuffed Poblano Pepper - looks like a good recipe
Board and Batten - DIY Board and Batten

Friday Favorites

How do I go Green? With Sustainable Baby Steps  -  a website devoted to going green - even have a free ebook

Baked Asparagus Fries with 3 Dipping Sauces  - I can't wait to try this and the dipping sauces!

Cut Your Spending by $400 a month - some budget cutting ideas - not that you can use all of them or all of them every month even but there are some ideas here that might help cut some spending

Messenger Bag Tutorial - I wish I could sew well enough to make this - love it and the fabrics used

Sunburn Solution - solution to sooth sunburned skin. It will keep for a few weeks in the fridge

Friday Favorites

Pinterest - If you aren't on Pinterest, well you are missing out on a great place to find tips, tricks, recipes, DIY projects, crafts, fashion, art, and inspiration throughout.  It is where I am finding most of my Friday Favorites now. On the sidebar there is a link to Domestic Servitude's Pinterest boards, please feel free to follow us.

DIY Garden Markers - This is an easy but project that would look nice in any garden or make a nice gift

27 Tips for Simple Entertaining - some good tips. I especially enjoyed the tip about getting people out of the house before the party because I tell you that is when I am the most frenzied and I don't want to take my stress out on others.

Blackberry Sage Cooler -  This is a non-alcoholic drink and it sounds like a heavenly drink to have in the summer.

How to Store Produce - a nice list about which fruits or veggies to refrigerate or keep at room temp





 

Friday Favorites

Not Just an Egg Salad - this egg salad has eggs, walnuts, broccolini, grapes, apple, asparagus, and sprouts in it with a curry dressing. The whole blog is really good - vegetarian recipes.

Mango Citrus Body Butter - homemade - it is a review of a book on DIY natural beauty products and then a recipe for the body butter

Still Tasty - a shelf life guide

3 Budget DIY Countertops - shows examples of painting, concrete and butcher block and links to blogs that did these methods

10 Ways to Organize Your Fridge -  has a picture gallery of different ways to organize your fridge

Friday Favorites

Kitchen 101 - Cooking Methods: a chart plus blog entry on all sorts of cooking methods
Chicken Chirizo "No Potato" Hash - looks delicious and a good way to add veggies in and not use carbs
Microfiber Information - a blog post about why to use microfiber and where to use it
18 Things to Get Rid of Now - just as the title says
Freezing Strawberries - tip on why/how to freeze strawberries now when the price is lower

Friday Favorites

10 Habits for a Well Run Home -  and to stay sane
Natural Pantry - from Whole Living - items to stock up and create a natural pantry
Salted Honey Butter Popcorn -  sounds just yummy
Illustrated Knife Skills - just a nice illustration of knife skills
Veggie Cooking Cheat Sheet - for boiled, steamed or microwaved veggies - this lists them and times of how long to cook

Friday Favorites

10 Organizing Mantras to Help You Cut Clutter and Get More Done -   good list to help motivate and get more done
Folding a Napkin like a Bunny from Martha Stewart - just so cute I couldn't resist adding to Friday Favorites
50 New Uses for Old Things from Real Simple - some really good ideas such as using an old tape cassette for keeping your earphones or ipod wires neat  or using a tooth brush (clean of course) as a vegetable brush
Smart Gardner - I haven't had time to check this website out fully but just the little bit that I have looked at - looks interesting and helpful.   It can help plan your garden from start to finish. You tell it where you live it tells you what to plant and when, designs your garden for you and gives you daily reminders of what to do to your garden.
Raspberry Breakfast Bars - from Smitten Kitchen that look delish
Choosing an Eco-Friendly Pillow - a good article on finding an eco-friendly pillow  from Whole Living

Friday Favorites

Folding Towels - a video that shows 3 ways to fold towels so they stack and look nice
How to Clean a Dishwasher - with spring cleaning upon us - this might be a good idea to add to the list
Easy Lunch Ideas for Work - some healthy lunch ideas
100 Ways to Use Old Magazines - always good to recycle/repurpose
Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Garlic Aioli - Brussel Sprouts is a veggie I don't care for but will eat but this actually looks good to me

Friday Favorites

How to Install a Light Fixture - photos along with instructions
Lunch Box Gallery - it can help give you ideas for lunch.  It is photos of lunch box contents.
White Bean and Sage Patties -  these I think would be good if you do a meatless meal. They served it with roasted tomatoes - just sounds delicious!
Mess Free Painting Tips - from the Family Handy Man
Hanging a Curtain Rod - Made Simple - using just a piece of cardboard she was able to make hanging a curtain rod look easy.

Friday Favorites

 A Quicker Way to Clean House -  An article where 3 Pro's were asked about house cleaning solutions
Facial Moisturizer - Homemade facial moisturizer
Savory Sausage and White Bean Stew with Crispy Sage Topping - sounds delicious
Make Your Own Dinnerware - using a marker for dishes you write on the plates and then bake it to set it
Eating Near Poverty Line @ Whole Foods Market - this blog post I thought was interesting.  A family of 3 used the USDA "Thrifty Budget" for one month and it talks about the experience.

Friday Favorites

Weekly Menus - it not only is weekly menus, but shopping list and recipes to go with the menus
Fast Customer - This is only available for United States and Canada - no more waiting on hold for Customer Service...this app will connect you to customer service reps without waiting on the line. I am not sure if it is available for anything other then iPhone but felt it was too good to not post.
Southwest Turkey Meatballs with Cilantro Dipping Sauce
Decals on Canisters - step by step instructions on how to make them and apply them and even make the decals dishwasher safe.
Couponing for Beginners - from Frugal Girls - they have a coupon database on their website.