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Share Alike Shortcuts
Did 'ya know? 


Metafile Companion Picture (32-bit)Clean The Kitchen 
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Here are a "7 Tips" right off the top of my head!
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1. Use the SAME pans (or whatever) through out the entire recipe.
  a. With the hopes of ending up with LESS stuff to wash!
  b. I try to plan my recipes (and when using other's) by attempting to do so.

2. Cover the food to reduce splatters.
  a. Microwave (at least with a tent of wax paper)
  b. Regular oven (like a tent of foil)
  c. Or tightly cover, depending on the recipe needs.

3. I make my own Anti-Bacterial Spray. Click Here!
  a. This cuts through many icky messes.
  b. I figured one batch = $29.00 worth of commercial spray!
  c. Best of all, the little bit of fumes NEVER make ME sick.
  d. There are more fun, quick tips on that page.

4. Batching Cooking: I've done this for years, but not always in the volume that's often suggested in once a month cooking (OAMC).
  a. I double "just about every recipe" I make, no matter what (freezing half for later use).
  b. One large pot is just as easy to clean (as is a smaller one).
  c. My FoodSaver is a wonderful aid in my batch cooking.

5. I ALWAYS have my kitchen table SET with my nicest (everyday) dishes.
  a. My Motive? Simple! It keeps my kids from putting their backpacks on the table!
  b. I decorated for HOME SHOWS and MODEL HOMES 20 years (and at home)!
  c. During the holidays, I set my formal dining room with my best holiday dishes too!
  d. Plus it looks GREAT and very inviting even from my front door!
  e. Now my table is set for lunch, dinner (whatever) and is ready at a moment's notice.
  f. People at least think you're on top of things!
  g. Kind of like the trick of “placing the vacuum” in the room.
  h. When I cook (my kitchen may be a mess) but nobody cares, my house smells great!

6. Family: Last, but not least, short of hiring someone, enlist family (and others).
  a. After all if they eat the food, they can certainly help clean up.
  b. At least, put their dishes in the dishwasher.
  c. I am incredibly blessed with DH and 2 DD, who have CLEAN genes.
  d. It is still an acquired habit, BUT if I can learn, ANYONE CAN!
  e. On the other hand, I may be messy, but I am BIG ON CLEANLINESS (germ-wise)!
  f. In addition to the homemade Anti-bacterial Spray, I use a foaming soap pump.
  g. I also use a touch of Purell and air-dry my hands (helps with handling raw meats)!

7. Others: My real life "Share Alike Cooking" for 8 years with my best friend.
  a. She cooks every Tuesday and I return the favor every Thursday.
  b. We deliver home cooked meals promptly at 6 p.m. (She does, I'm tardy! LOL!)
  b. This is one way my kitchen stays cleaner (particularly on her nights).
  c. We initially started with 4 cooks (with similar family size and ages).
  d. As our families grew, we sub-divided into two separate groups.
  e. Also as our kids have aged, we have had more fun experimenting.
  f. We tease, when they all fly the coop, then we can really become more adventurous.
  g. Kids keep your recipes grounded! Right?



The Beloved Dyson Vacuum  (Five Stars, from me too!)
By Sharon Anne


Consumer Search (Upright Vacuums Review) states,
“…three hundred owners posting to Amazon.com and another seventy on Epinions.com give four different versions of this vacuum an amazing five out of five stars.”  (Why? Read my reasons below...)
        *****Reasonably Priced, Lightweight Housing and Amazing Suction Power*****
I really HATE to admit how much money I've invested in, buying cheap to expensive vacuum cleaners. I was really wishing for quality. I've owned everything from a Hoover to a Eureka to an Electrolux and back to again to Hoover, a Wind Tunnel which I HATED, for the same reasons that everybody else does! (See the above Consumer's Reports Article). Why was I never happy, because they were all a bunch of plastic crap! I even have a central vac (which is also expensive and very disappointing too).

Criticism over a Dyson as being expensive! (?) NOT in my book! Believe me I am a huge TIGHTWAD;  even my friends make fun of my frugalness! Nope, a really great vacuum is worth every NICKEL (it's reasonably priced) when you consider it's qualities!

Now buying several vacuums… and wishing for quality! Now that's EXPENSIVE!

The Dyson's lightweight housing is a huge benefit over my sis-in-law's heavy and bulky Kirby. Not one of my other vacuums can even compete with the amazing suction power of her's or a Dyson I found out. I have always COVETED her expensive Kirby; I just couldn't justify having to mortgage a house to afford one (no lie, they actually did). Well no more coveting, I now own a Dyson “Animal”.

*****Maneuvers Easily, Bag-less Dirt Chamber and High Satisfaction Rating*****
My hubby is a clean freak and I am a real gadget freak... thus the Dyson keeps us both happy. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, so my DH vacuums for me all the time. In fact I actually bought the Dyson partly out of guilt, in the first place, because of this malady. Now I love how easy my Dyson maneuvers. Anyway he and I vacuum all the time and (Wow) we are always AMAZED how quickly the bag-less dirt chamber fills to maximum! No kidding, my kids are dirt-magnets (think Peanut strip's Pig Pen character). LOL! Good thing the Dyson's bag-less, because we'd be going through bags with every use!

My hubby laughs at this vacuum and calls it my "TRANSFORMER!" Remember those toys the kids would “TWIST and TURN” from a car into a futuristic robot? Well, the Dyson may be very different from every other vacuum, but that difference in technology just may be what makes it amazingly powerful and efficient. You get use to the "method to its madness" (be sure to read the directions, otherwise you'll be lost). LOL, even with all their quirkiness, these vacuums have the highest satisfaction rating by consumers.

*****Space-Age Plastic, Hard Floors and Onboard Accessories*****
While shopping, months ago, I watched a video with this British fellow beating the snot out of a vacuum with a metal pipe. I laughed so hard... but bought one right on the spot! (With Bed Bath & Design's satisfaction guarantee policy, I felt safe to do so.)

ALL vacuums need regular maintenance, especially if you have hair any longer than one-inch (and my girl's have long hair)! Now the Dyson isn't perfect, because the roller bar cover doesn't come off exactly easy. Yet a simple quarter (coin) does the trick to twist and untwist the bolts (Lefty-Loosey and Righty-Tighty)! Using a pair of scissors simply cut the long-twisted hair (or strings) from the beater bar and its crevasses. Pop the roller back in place, replace the cover and you're back in business!

The Dyson “Animal” designed for picking up animal hair, has all sorts of great accessories and vacuum heads. I love the dusting brush for my baseboards, blinds and everywhere dust lurks, I really put it through its paces, because of my painful hands. I even vacuum around the toilet (with the "transforming" extension wand). I clean the brush with my Anti-Bacterial spray recipe, before I can even dare store it back onboard the vacuum. http://www.sharonanne.com/tight_wad_tips.htm

The Dyson is WORTH ALL those FIVE STARS… and I heartedly agree!

Computer Character Codes: 
Desktops: Hold down the Alt Key and then use the Number Keypad (not the top number keys).
For Laptops: Hold down the
FN key with the Alt key, then
type the Right Hand Keys
(m, j , k, l, u, i, o, 7, 8, and 9)
Degree Symbol
Cents Symbol
Copyright Symbol
Registered Trade Mark
350°
50¢
SASAC©
Cool Whip®
0176
0162
0169
0174

 I Hate Spam "Pop Up"
Ad's  with their
"Scare Tactics"?

Now the scam-spammers
can contact us with:

Windows Messenger Service!

Here's How to
TURN OFF Windows Messenger Service
I was spammed lately, by a Bogus Pop Up... masquerading as something "vitally important" to the safety of my computer!

I called my computer's tech support, which I do all the time, poor guys. (Here, I'll give a big plug for Best Buy, I love 'em ). Anyhow, I was told it was just the "Scam of Spam". They said "You'll want to disable your Windows Message Service."

Article:
How to turn off Windows Messenger Service
http://www.itc.virginia.edu/desktop/docs/messagepopup/
Read and follow the directions.

If you want to ward off these Spamming creeps too, I highly recommend doing the same!

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