A Gift from Apron Frenzy

I was lucky enough to have won a contest over at Red Pine Mountain. The prize, a set of towels, was provided by Apron Frenzy. I just want to take this time to thank them very much for this terrific set of towels...



On another note, I would like to let you know that they are currently having a sale on all of their Easter aprons, so please stop by and take a look. Here are a few photos I stole from her site to share with you:

One of their Easter aprons...




Snoopy kitchen bar mops...


Thank you again for the great towels!

How to Enable Printer Friendly Pages in Blogger

As I was going through and reading the blogs I follow, I noticed that one of them had a pretty nifty (I know, dated saying), button on their site; it was a "Print this Page" button. Basically, what this does is when you press the button, only the blog post and the comments will print out. The rest of the site, including the sidebars, header, and the footer are not printed. This allows the reader to print out an article that interests them, without having the entire blog printed.

So, since several of my articles are recipes and how-to's, I decided that it would be nice to enable this feature on my site. With this in mind, I went in search of some code and then began tweaking it on my test blog. After I got the actual button positioned and the code in place, I started to run tests in Firefox to see if it actually worked. I hit print preview and I noticed that whatever I did, only one page of my article would appear. No page two, no comments.

After several hours of trying to figure this thing out, I eventually ran across a posting in a forum which stated that this is a known issue in Firefox, but in IE or Chrome, it prints the entire post w/ comments. I switched over to IE and sure enough, it worked just fine. So, I now needed to search for a fix and after about thirty minutes of searching, I found one. Although this feature is not yet available on this site, I have incorporated it on the new template I am working on and I am hopeful to be able to transfer my blog to that template within the next few days.
If you're interested, here is the code I used WITH the fix (overflow:visible;) and the IE fix in bold and enlarged...

<style type='text/css'>
@media print{
body{margin: 10px; background-color:#FFFFFF; background-image:none; 
font:color:#000000 }
p{font:14pt Arial;}
#main-wrapper{ overflow:visible;width:100%;}
.post
#header{ display:none;}
#left-sidebar-wrapper{ display:none;}
#right-sidebar-wrapper{ display:none;}
<!--[if !IE]>
#footer-wrapper{ display:none;}
.fineprint{ display:none;}
.comment-footer{ display:none;}
.feed-links{ display:none;}
#backlinks-container{ display:none;}
#blog-pager-newer-link{ display:none;}
#blog-pager-older-link{ display:none;}
#blog-pager{ display:none;}
<![endif]-->

This should be placed directly before the </head> tag.

I still need to add additional formatting to this code, but it works.

Oh, here's the code for the button

<form><input onclick='window.print();return false;'
type='button' value=' Print this Article '/></form>

If you are currently having this same problem, here is the link to the site where I found the fix... forums.cnet.com

Can't you tell that this post was thrown together at the last minute??

Friday Fotos: 3/26

This would be my luck...

courtesy of... punditkitchen.com




How do you explain this one...

courtesy of... lolpix.com




Banker cats...

courtesy of... icanhascheezburger.com

Getting your Ducks in a Row

I looked out of the kitchen window today and I noticed that we had a few extra guests dining on our superior seed cuisine...

How to Unclog a Bathroom Drain

I received a few requests to write an article on home maintenance, so I figured that I would dust-off this article (published in 12/2008), and share it with you. Although this article describes how to unclog a drain, you may also use these directions in the instance of a leaky P-trap.

Also, if there is a specific repair job you are interested in, please let me know in the comments and I'll do my best to write an article about it.

Note: if you have a really old, chrome P-trap, be prepared to go to the store for a replacement. When I did this for a living (the apartment complexes I worked at were over ten years old and it was the original plumbing), I cannot count the number of times that I would begin to unscrew the nut and I would feel the entire trap twist and then break.

What you will need...

bucket or pail
paper towels
a long, slim, stick such as an old chopstick
pipe wrench and cloth(if your pipes are not plastic)

• Firstly, I emptied all the things that get stored under the sink; it's amazing how much stuff accumulates under there


• Place the bucket under the P-trap (the U-shaped pipe)


• Running your hands down the Tail-Piece (the straight pipe that leads from the sink to the P-trap), you should feel a straight metal rod attached by a nut.
  This is the rod which raises and lowers your drain stopper


• To remove, unscrew the nut and then, with one hand on the stopper, remove the rod from the pipe


• Remove the stopper from the drain


• Unscrew the nuts which attach the P-trap (be sure not to remove the nuts from the pipes, unless you plan to change the washers) and place the P-trap in bucket


• Rinse/ clean out the P-trap while still in bucket (that way you can dispose of the gunk outside)




• If you are working on brass (usually chrome plated) or other metal pipes, wrap the cloth around the nut (this will help ensure that you do not damage or scratch the pipes with the teeth of the wrench)




• Take a paper towel and crumble it and place inside the drain


• Using the chopstick, push the towel all the way through the pipe


• repeat


• This should clean out all the soap scum that has been slowing down the water flow


• Once the P-trap and the tail-piece have been cleaned, reverse the process




• If you are going to install a new P-trap now, obviously, is the time to do so. If you are unsure of what size to get, just take your old trap to the store with you




• When you tighten the nuts, be sure to not over-tighten


• For plastic pipes, hand tight is usually sufficient


• For metal, hand tighten and then give maybe a quarter turn with the wrench (You can always tighten it further, if needed


• Replace the drain stopper and feed the rod through the hole in the bottom of the stopper and tighten the nut...again only hand-tight


• Take your paper towels and make sure the pipes are nice and dry


• With the bucket back under the P-trap, turn the water on and test for leaks


• Use your paper towels to make sure everything remains dry


• If there is a leak, tighten the appropriate nut until the leak stops

If you have any questions, please let me know.

I originally posted this in December of 2008 as cleaning a bathroom drain

Alien Cattle Mutilations

I would like to thank Project Savior for suggesting this topic. I quickly discovered that this topic goes way beyond a single blog post, but I will do my best to try and do the subject justice. When I first started to look into this subject, I noticed that with the vast amount of resources and the numerous angles that this subject could be approached, I would quickly be suffering from information overload. So, I've decided to just pass along the information that seems to be consistent in many of the cattle mutilation cases (my disclaimer for writing a "strained" article on the subject. As you can tell, I'm not very happy with how this turned out). Also, please understand that I will not be listing what parts of the animal are removed.

So, why exactly are these cases making the news? I understand that this is a horrible act of cruelty and those that perpetrate it are hopefully caught and punished; However, those cases are the ones that don't fall into the Alien cattle mutilation category. What's the difference? Well, it has to do with how the mutilation is actually done and what is and is NOT present at the discovery scene.

Since 1967, there have been more than 10,000 (average of 233 per year)^* reported cases of cattle mutilation, worldwide. Although these incidents occur worldwide, Colorado seems especially plagued. In 1975, ranchers on the state's Eastern Plains, particularly around southern Elbert County, reported more than 200 mysteriously mutilated cattle.¹

In 1979, the Governor of New Mexico asked the FBI to investigate a rash of cattle mutilations and he stated that since the mutilations have crossed state lines from Colorado to New Mexico, it now fell into federal jurisdiction. After investigating, the FBI stated that the mutilations were a result of predators and scavengers.²

Is the FBI correct? Before you answer that, let me give you a little more information on what is found at the mutilation sites...

■ Animals are completely drained of blood (eviscerated)and no blood is present on the underside of any peeled skin

■ The incisions are made with surgical precision and are cauterized

■ No blood is present at the scene

"■ Sometimes there’s radioactivity present, sometimes not.

■ No tracks into or out of the mutilation site.

■ No signs of a struggle.

■ Many say it’s as if the animal was laid there, already dead."³

We could conclude from this, that the actual mutilation did not occur where the animal was eventually found. It would also indicate that whomever performed the act, had a knowledge of animal anatomy and was skilled in dissection. You can also deduce that once the dissection was complete, the animal was dropped at another site in such a way as to not leave any tracks. This would suggest that an aircraft, possibly a helicopter, could have been used to transport the animal.

This brings me to a possible question: why not just leave the animal at the mutilation site? Why go to the extreme trouble (these animals weigh several hundred pounds) and risk the possibility of getting caught, by transporting it to another area? In a case in Montana, there were several houses nearby the discovery scene and no one reported seeing or hearing any aircraft.⁴

Okay, what about it being a predator attack? Without going into the fact that the parts were surgically removed, there is the lack of blood around the animal, which would rule that out. Also, we are dealing with ranchers here and they, more than anyone, know what a predator attack looks like.

Here's another theory I came across: the Gasbuggy Site-Black Helicopter Theory:

A 1967 underground nuclear explosion at Gasbuggy near Bloomfield, N.M., was supposed to unlock a wealth of natural gas beneath the San Juan Basin.

Instead, it contaminated the ground and water, and sent radioactive particles into the Northern New Mexico atmosphere. Prevailing westerly winds continue to bring those radionuclides into our area.

As unclear about airborne dangers as it was about underground contamination, a secret corner of the federal government initiated a longterm study in the 1970s on the health impact of airborne radioactive exposure. To do so, they needed tissue samples to test. Cattle, with their close DNA link to humans and docile nature, were deemed the best sources.

But anyone can see that openly killing cows for research would be ethically and politically problematic. So, black helicopters come in under shroud of night, scoop up cows from below, excise the samples, lay the otherwise healthy cows back on the ground and fly away.⁵

"Despite the theories, no mutilation has ever been thoroughly explained."⁶

So, do you think the FBI was correct or do you think they came to those conclusions for another reason?

While trying to figure out how to write this, I did come-up with a few a areas that might be worth pursuing:

Are there connections between Alien Cattle Mutilations and...

• UFO Sightings


• Crop Circles


• Alien Abductions


• Proximity to Nuclear Power Plants/Uranium mines


• Latitude/Longitude


• Convergence of Magnetic Fields


• Economic/Political upheavals

Oh well, something to ponder.


^* Inserted by author

¹denverpost.com

²history.com

³taosnews.com

⁴helenair.com

⁵taosnews.com

⁶denverpost.com

Java Plug-in Not Working with Pogo.com

I would like to thank Karen at Karen & Gerard Zemek for this question and I will do my best to help you resolve it. I will go from the easiest fixes to the more complex.

Firstly, if you use Firefox to play on Pogo and you have the NoScript add-on, make sure that it is disabled on the entire site.

If you have the AdBlock Plus add-on for Firefox, make sure that is disabled.

Try playing the games using Internet Explorer, if the Java plug-in still does not work, send me just three easy payments of $19.95 and I'll be happy to help (sorry, couldn't resist).

Okay, here are some other tips I found:

Make sure your Java plug-in is enabled...

1. Click Start


2. Click Control Panel (make sure you are in Classic View)


3. Click Java


4. Click Advanced (if you do not see this tab, then you have an older version and need to upgrade. See below for link)


5. Click the + sign on Default Browsers for Java


6. Make sure the boxes for Internet Explorer and Mozilla Family (Firefox) are checked


7. If not, click the appropriate box and hit Apply

To Test Java... verify java plugin

Still not working...
play these games and see if it works in any of them...

* Word Whomp
* Ali-Baba Slots
* Cribbage (play with robots so you can leave if need be)
* Ez-Win Bingo

I discovered that Pogo.com will display the "corrupt Java" warning message if one of the online games takes too long to load, even if there is nothing wrong with your installation. So, if any of these games works, then it may be an issue with the site's response time or your Internet connection has slowed due to increased traffic.

If the games don't work, here are a few more things you can try:

Clear your Firefox browser...

1. Go to Tools


2. Click: Clear Recent History


3. Click all tabs (this is what I do)


4. Click: Clear Now

Clear your Java cache...

1. Click Start


2. Click Control Panel (make sure you are in Classic View)


3. Click Java


4. Click General


5. Find the Temporary Internet Files section


6. Click Settings


7. Check both boxes: Applications and Applets & Trace and Log Files


8. Click Delete Files


9. Restart your computer

You might also want to do a scan for any malware that may be lurking on your computer. Here is a link to a very powerful, yet FREE program... malwarebytes.org. When you click the download button, it will take you to CNET for the actual download.

Also, a pre-boot scan of your system may also be helpful. I use Avast!, again FREE. It is a very aggressive anti-virus program and I have to admit, it has saved my computer more times than I can count. It will notify you when a virus is trying to download and will prevent it from downloading.
I hope this helps, if you are still having difficulties, I have included some useful links for you. Good luck!

Helpful links:

The Pogo help page... Pogo.com Help

The Java help page... Java.com Help

To Download/Test Java... Download Java

Writing Roundup

I'm looking for ideas...

Yes, I am once again searching for something new to write about. Although, I have been doing a few articles on frugality, I'm bored and want to write on something else (look a squirrel). I plan to go back and continue this series a little later, but since this is Spring Break and I'm going to have a little extra time to do research, I want to try something new.

So, to help give my brain a much-needed workout, I would like you to suggest some topics that you would like to have me write about. It can be on just about anything: Bigfoot, home repair and maintenance, landscaping, cooking, product comparisons, or even zombies. In short, try and stump me.

Koko and Yum Yum Make the Big Time

Yes, now that they are gracing the cover of their first magazine, I have a feeling that Koko and Yum Yum will be a lot harder to live with. I mean they were demanding before, but now...

I was introduced to this site by Split Rock Ranch.

Friday Fotos: 5/19

Sometimes, I just don't understand people...

courtesy of... lolpix.com




Your government dollars at work...

courtesy of... failblog.org





courtesy of... roflrazzi.com




Be afraid, VERY be afraid...

courtesy of... icanhascheezburger.com

Being Frugal with Mixes

One way to be frugal is to try and find substitutes for some of your favorite mixes. What I'm referring to are a few the usual suspects that come in pretty handy when making other meals: such as onion soup mix and taco seasoning. Both of these mixes can be pretty pricey at the store, but if you can find a good substitute recipe, you can save a good deal of money. However, the problem comes in trying to find a good recipe.

What I would like to do today is share two of the recipes I've discovered that seem to be fairly close to the originals. I cannot take credit for creating the recipe, so I will include a link to the original site.

First up, here is a great copycat recipe for mixing your own Lipton's Onion Soup Mix. I've tried this one myself and it is really close to the store-bought variety. As you know, this is a salty soup, so if you want to decrease the sodium, I would go for a low-sodium beef bouillon powder. Since I made ours using the regular beef bouillon powder, I do not know how the low-sodium variety will affect the taste, if at all.

What you need...

• ¾ cup of minced onion


• _1/3 cup of beef bouillon powder


• 4 tsp. onion powder


• ¼ tsp. crushed celery seed


• ¼ tsp. sugar

Combine all ingredients in a mason jar and mix well.

recipe courtesy of... recipezaar.com

Next, I would like to share a copycat recipe for Taco Bell Taco Seasoning mix. I have used this recipe for well over a year and my family just loves it.

The measurements for this recipe is for use with one pound of ground beef.

What you need...

• 1 Tbs. flour (I substitute powdered sour cream for this ingredient)


• 1 Tbs. corn starch


• 1 Tbs. dried minced onion

• 2 tsp. chili powder


• 1 tsp. beef bouillon powder


• 1 tsp. garlic salt (to reduce the sodium content, I substitute granulated garlic, instead)


• 1 tsp. ground cumin


• 1 tsp. paprika


• ½ tsp. onion salt


• ¼ tsp. sugar

Again, I use a jar to mix and store this mix.

recipe courtesy of... Robbie's Recipes

For even more recipes, please visit these sites, because there is a wealth of information there. By spending some time on these and similar sites, you can discover even more to help you live a more frugal life.

I Got a Major Award

It's been quite some time since I've received any awards, so I was very pleasantly surprised when I received these awards from my good friend over at Mom's Cafe Home Cooking.


The first award is...


You're Going Places, Baby Award.
When accepting this award, the person receiving it must tell where they think they will be in ten years.

So, where will I be in ten years? Probably still trying to think of an answer to this question. Actually, since the kids will be off on their own, I think I'll get off my butt and get a real job: "Welcome to Walmart!"


The second award is the...

Beautiful Blogger Award.

In accepting this award, the recipient must tell seven things about themselves.

1. In high school, I took flying lessons, but it became too expensive and I had to quit


2. I like experimenting in the kitchen


3. Even though it was very hard work, I thoroughly enjoyed building our retaining wall


4. I really enjoy doing maintenance work


5. I would rather be busy doing something, than sitting around and doing nothing


6. I enjoy learning new things and sharing that knowledge with others


7. I would still like to learn how to fly

Finally, the...

Sunshine Award.

I would like to pass these awards along to...

Confessions of a Psychotic Housewife

BeadedTail

Split Rock Ranch

Ann's Snap Edit & Scrap

Taco Pizza

We didn't have any taco shells, so I decided to breakout the old pizza starter instead, so I guess that you can call this being pseudo-frugal, As you can see from the shape, I've given up, for now, on the round pizza variety and decided to play it safe and just form the dough into the shape of the baking tray. Hey, on the highway of life, if it's easy, I'll take that off-ramp.

I pre-bake the crust (you can use the pizza dough recipe from My Pizza Dough Recipe and after it cools, I slather on the sour cream and then sprinkle the cheese over the top. I cook the meat and once it cools, I spread that over the top and then cover with the remaining cheese and bake.

Anyway, here's the cost breakdown of this meal:
Meat...$5.13
Cheese...$2.85
Sour Cream...$1.50
Spices...I have no idea, but it's under $1.00 (I make my own taco seasoning)

Total...$10.48 (I just added the $1.00 for the seasoning)

Okay, I can see that you might be saying, "what's so frugal about that???" That's kind of pricey for a meal. Well, I would have to agree, but this wonderful pizza provided three meals for my family. The per-meal cost for each person was: $1.16.
($10.48 / 3 people= $3.49 / 3 nights = $1.16)...not too bad, actually.

Friday Fotos: 3/12

Firstly, I would like to announce the winner of the $25 Kroger Gift Card Giveaway. By a highly scientific, random drawing (basically all the names went into a hat and my daughter closed her eyes, reached in and grabbed a slip of paper), the winner is...BeadedTail. Congratulations and I will be in touch. I also want to thank those of you who took the time to enter this contest. I hope everyone has a great weekend and now, on to the Friday Fotos...




This sounds about right...

courtesy of... graphjam.com





courtesy of... lolpix.com




Can't you tell I'm a Star Trek fan...

courtesy of... roflrazzi.com




Yep, this is very true...

courtesy of... icanhascheezburger.com

My Frugal Ways, Part Deux: A Trip to the Bulk Bin

The next time you happen to be in your grocery store, take a look around and see if they have bulk bins. We do a great deal of our shopping at Winco (Idaho) and they have a huge bulk bin section. The amount of money we save buying from those bins is incredible. Some of the items featured there are: Nuts, Dried Fruit, Noodles, Parmesan cheese, Parmesan Romano cheese, Beans, Rice, Spices, Honey & Peanut butter station, Baking goods, Breakfast Cereal, Snacks, and Candy. These are just the categories, the actual selections are massive. For example, there are thirty items in the Noodles section alone, with prices in the noodles section ranging from $0.75 - $1.28 per pound (the cheeses and specialty items in that section are a bit more expensive).

Can you see the potential for savings here? If your store has a bulk bin, please check it out, because you can save a great deal of money by buying some of your staple items there. Why pay twice or three times more for the same item, with the only difference being, that it's in a nice, pretty package. Why pay for the advertising, when you can get the same thing for less money. Not sure if you'll like the product, just buy a small amount and give it a try. Chances are, you will not be able to tell the difference.

Now, I'm not saying that everything in the bulk bins will be less expensive, so you'll need to do a little research to discover that for yourself. Yes, it means spending a little extra time in the store, but if you end up saving money, wouldn't it be worth it? When you go to the store, take a pencil and paper and do some comparison shopping. Check-out the prices of the products you usually buy and compare them to the same items that are in the bulk bins. Once you have a list of those products from the bulk bin that are cheaper, why not give one or two of them a try? Also, find someone you can ask to discover how often the bins are refilled, because the more often they are refilled, the fresher the product.

I realize that some of us have our own individual comfort zones when it comes to trying new things at the grocery store, so just try one or two items the first time. I'm hoping that you will discover that trying new things can not only be exciting, but economical as well.

My New Frugal Ways

I was inspired by Ann over at Ann's Snap Edit & Scrap for sharing some of her frugal ways and it gave me an idea to do something similar. As you all know, we are living in some very tough times and the saying, "a penny saved is a penny earned," has begun to mean something once again. For us, the days of impulse buying are over and the days of frugal living are beginning. So, to start things off, let me share with you my first step down the road of frugal living: making our own bread.

Before I began making our bread, we were paying close to $4.00 a loaf for the sourdough bread we like and just under $2.00 for regular bread. Over a period of a month, we would be shelling-out close to $25.00 on just bread. Now, let's do the numbers: we get a twenty pound bag of flour for $8.00, which lasts a little over a month. The recipe I use requires, in addition to about five cups of flour, a teaspoon of salt, two teaspoons of oil (I use Crisco) and four teaspoons of sugar. I make about two loaves of bread each week: the regular sandwich bread and a loaf of french bread. I figure that each loaf costs just under $1.00 to make (this includes the flour (about $0.55), salt (one to two pennies), sugar (about $0.05), and oil (about $0.10-$0.20) (optional).

Over the course of a month, I figure that we spend roughly $10.00 on bread, so we're saving close to $15.00 a month by making it ourselves. Now, I know that's not a huge savings, but it is fifteen extra dollars that can be allocated elsewhere.

If you would like to begin making your own sourdough bread, here are the recipes for the starter and for the actual baking:

Sourdough Starter

Baking your Sourdough Bread

Cart Buster Savings Event and Giveaway

I mentioned in a previous post about my start down the road of pursuing a more frugal lifestyle. What does this mean exactly? Well, it means that my family and myself are going to try and save money wherever we can and this means watching the ads for sales. With this said, I would like to pass along some information I just received: It seems that Kroger and its Family of Stores is having a Cart Buster Savings Event. From now until March 14th, you can save on a variety of name-brand products such as: Honey Nut Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, and Hamburger Helper to name just a few. I could go on naming more of the participants, but if you just take a look at the photo on the top of the page, you can get a pretty good idea as to who is participating.

If you're not sure whether you have a Kroger's near you, here's a list of some the stores that belong to the Kroger family: Kroger, Ralph´s, King Soopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith´s, Fry´s, QFC, Baker´s, Owen´s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Food4Less, Pay Less Super Markets, Scott´s Food & Pharmacy, and Fred Meyer.

I will be covering this in more detail in a later article, but for added savings look around for some manufacturer coupons you can use (you can go to coupons.com). I know that General Mills has several that are currently active. I'll be heading over to Fred Meyer tomorrow and I'm going to be on the lookout for some items that I can put in the pantry I'm starting. Oh, and since this will be my first pantry, I'm open to any suggestions as to what to put in it.

Now for the part you've been waiting for: They have provided me with one card to give away to a lucky reader. If you would like to receive a $25.00 gift card, just let me know in the comments and I will pick one lucky winner. If you happen to win, I'll send your mailing information to Blogspark and Kroger, who will send you the gift card.


legal stuff... The Kroger Family of Stores and General Mills provided me with the gift card, information, and giveaway through MyBlogSpark.

Tony's® Pizza Giveaway

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Tony's Pizza. All opinions are 100% mine.



I was being particularly lazy the other night, so I decided to grab a pizza out of the freezer and pop it in the oven. I had already planned on heating some of my infamous soup for my wife, so the pizza would be for my daughters. Well, I hadn't tried a Tony's Pizza for years and I was looking forward to trying it again. I opened the box and the first thing that caught my eye is the fact that it's not round; it was square with rounded corners. Well, that's different, but as I've been told, it's not the shape but the taste that matters. So, I popped it in the oven and about twelve minutes later it was ready.

The pizza was just large enough to make a good meal and it disappeared very quickly. I stole a portion from one of my daughters and I have to admit that the new crust is much better than the original. The texture is lighter and it tastes more like what pizza crust is meant to taste like. The toppings were very good, but they need to be a little more generous in the amount they put on the pizza. Yes, I understand it helps to keep the cost down, but it's just a thought. Finally, the sauce was very good and it was something both my daughters commented on. One of my kids NEVER likes sauce on her pizza, but she really enjoyed the flavor of this pizza sauce.

Now, as for the price: we got this at Winco and they charge a whopping $0.98. This is a great deal for the amount of pizza you get. This is a great pizza to give the kids or to have if you just want a nice snack.

Tony's® Pizza would like you to try their new crispy crust pizza, so they are giving away coupons for a free pizza. I have five coupons to give away, so if you would like one, just comment and let me know and I will then contact you for your mailing info and send you your coupon for a free pizza. After all, free is good, right?

legal stuff... Tony's® Pizza contacted me and provided the coupons for myself and my readers.

Friday Fotos: 3/5

Obviously, a government project...

courtesy of... failblog.org




I can agree with this...

courtesy of... roflrazzi.com





courtesy of... lolpix.com




This would be Koko...

courtesy of... icanhascheezburger.com

Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls Gift Pack Giveaway

One of the nice things that I like about Sunday mornings is that it gives us a chance, as a family, to just take it easy and spend some quality time together. On those Sundays when we don't go to church, we take the relaxation-thing up a notch and do something different. Most of the time, I'll make eggs and bacon (nothing smells better first thing in the morning than bacon and coffee), but this past Sunday, I decided to try something different. I mean, this is the time for me to spend with my wife and kids, not be stuck in the kitchen cooking and cleaning. So, while at the store last week, I decided to pick-up a can of Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls and give them a try. I'm the first person to tell you that I'm not a pastry chef, so when it comes to making rolls or any type of pastry, I'm more than happy to save the time and trouble and leave the work to the experts.

I must say that I'm very glad that I did, because the one thing I really don't like to do first thing in the morning is make a mess. If I were to do this the old fashioned way, I would be dragging out the yeast, flour, powdered sugar, and butter to name just a few of the items needed, which kind of defeats the entire purpose of trying to spend time with my family. I found it much faster and easier to just open a can, separate the rolls and place the rolls in a round cake pan (which happens to be just the right size for the five rolls). I then popped them in the oven and in just twelve minutes it was time to dig-in. As they were baking, their sweet aroma permeated our house and actually managed to get our daughters out of bed, which is no small feat on the weekends. Once out of the oven, I just added the icing and enjoyed.

These rolls were quick and easy to make and I have to say that they tasted fantastic. Warm from the oven, I took the first bite and it was so tender, it actually began to melt in my mouth. While my wife and daughters enjoyed their rolls with a glass of cold milk, I had mine with a fresh cup of hot coffee. Now, from my experience there are two ways to eat these rolls: you can either dive right in and take a bite or you can unroll them and nibble away. I happen to be an unroller. I like to unroll it little by little until just the center is left and then I pop it into my mouth and the deed is done.

I like to think that spending moments like this with my family is like storing memories for later. My daughters are growing all too quickly and in a few years, they'll be away at college and living their own lives. We really enjoy our times together and I like to think that maybe they'll look back fondly on these moments.

As you could tell from the title of this post, Pillsbury is giving away free gift packs and I would like to pass one along to a lucky reader. If you would like to participate in this giveaway, just submit your favorite Sunday Morning Moment along with any pictures you wish to include. I will then post your entries here, along with a link to your site. Once the winner is chosen, I'll send your mailing information to Blogspark and Pillsbury, who will send you the gift pack.

To tempt you further, here is another photo of some cinnamon rolls we also made...



Legal stuff...As you may have guessed, Pillsbury provided me with a free sample of the rolls, information, and the gift pack through MyBlogSpark

Geometry Formulas

These formulas have been taken directly from a ninth grade geometry class...

Geometry Formulas...

Key:

B = Surface area of the base
A = Area
C = Circumference
P = Perimeter
L = Lateral Faces
S = Surface area
V = Volume
d = diameter
l = Length
l = Slant Height
h = Height
w = Width
r = Radius
π ≈ 3.14
a = Apothem


Changing Attributes:
When one attribute is multiplied by 2, the volume is also multiplied by 2.

When two attributes are multiplied by 2, the volume is multiplied by 2².

When all three attributes are multiplied by 2, the volume is multiplied by 2³ and the surface area is multiplied by 2².

Cavalieri's Principle: tells us that if two solids have equal heights and the cross sections formed by every plane parallel to the bases of both solids have equal areas, then the two solids have equal volume.

Pythagorean Theorem = a² + b² = c²
Perimeter of a Trapezoid = a + b₁ + b₂ + c

Area of a Trapezoid = ½h( b₁ + b₂ ) Where b₁ and b₂ are the lengths of the bases

Circumference of a Circle: C= πd or C= π2r

Area of a Circle: A= πr²

Note: These formulas may look confusing, but remember this little trick: Find ALL the measurements you will need FIRST. Then, use those numbers to plug into the formula and solve. For example, let's say you need to find the surface area of a pyramid (½lP + B). By looking at the formula, you may confused and not know where to start, but take another look at the formula and see what you NEED to solve it: you need a slant height (if this measurement is not given, you may need to use the Pythagorean Theorem to find it), the perimeter, and the surface area of the base. Once you find each of those numbers, then just plug them into the formula.If you do this EVERY time, you will find these formulas much easier to handle.




Prisms  
Surface area of a Right Prism: S= 2lw + 2lh + 2wh
*Note: Remember, prisms are named for their bases



Modified Formula for Finding the Surface Area of a Right Prism

Surface Area of a Right Prism: S= hP + 2B  where B=lw

Volume of a Right Prism: V= Bh

Surface Area of a BASE (B) of a Triangular Prism: B= ½bh,
then plug the B into the S=  hp + 2B formula

Volume of a Triangular Prism: Use the formula above to find the B, then plug into the V= Bh formula

Surface Area of the Hexagonal BASE (B): B=½aP




Cubes

Surface area of a Cube: 6x²

Volume of a Cube: V= x³



Pyramids
Surface area of a regular pyramid:  ½lP + B

Surface area of the BASE (B) of Square Pyramid: base measure²

Surface area of the BASE (B) of Triangular Pyramid: B = ½bh

Surface area of the BASE (B) of a Hexagonal Pyramid: B=½aP
Once you find the B, plug it into the regular ½lP + B formula

Finding slant height when height is given: use Pythagorean theorem...
A² + B² = C²

Finding Height when slant height is given: use Pythagorean theorem...
A² + B² = C²

The volume of a pyramid: V= ^1/3Bh.




Cylinders

Surface Area of a Cylinder: S = L + 2B

L= 2πrh or L= πdh

B= πr²

so, the S= L + 2B  becomes...

S= 2πrh + 2πr²

Volume of a Cylinder


V= Bh
By replacing the B with πr², you get

V= πr²h




Cones

Surface Area of a Cone S= L + B

L= πrl

B= πr²

So, the S= L + B becomes...

S= πrl+ πr²


Volume of a Cone V= ^1/3Bh

B=πr²

So, the V= ^1/3Bh becomes...

V= ^1/3πr²h

images courtesy of...
onlinemathlearning.com
hotmath.com
mathwarehouse.com
math.about.com