Category: drink

NoTakeOut – Great Meals Made Easy

nto_logoHas it been pretty hectic around your house? Do you feel like you have no time to get dinner on the table when you get home? Well NoTakeOut has made it easy on you, they have great meals made easy for anyone on the go.

THE SKINNY: No more mediocre meals cobbled together last minute.  No more trolling recipe websites to figure out what side dish might work with steamed halibut.  No more shopping fiascos — like when you arrived home without eggplant for the ratatouille.  NoTakeOut.com helps you plan, prep and cook an entire meal, not just one dish.  We provide a complete menu, a shopping list and a game plan – basically, we help you organize to go from kitchen to table with ease.

‘Making mealtime manageable’ is kind of a mantra for us.  When you say you’re busy, we get it: you’re taking care of kids, working, shopping, maybe grabbing a workout –  oh yeah, and the laundry… You don’t need another hassle!  Our goal is to make food, meals and dining-at-home an easy family ritual and a daily pleasure.

Each day they give you a menu, with a side dish and even suggestions on what wine goes best with the recipe of the day. Tools you may need, shopping list and pantry items. And they give you serving size, prep time and total time. Check out NoTakeOut for yourself and start cooking tonight!

Handpresso – Premium Quality Espresso Anywhere

Handpresso would make a great Christmas gift for the hard to buy for or for the espresso lover in your life.

Reasons why Handpresso is the perfect travel espresso maker:

  • Travels with you
  • Makes perfect coffee
  • Enhances the coffee experience
  • Packs away
  • Helps the planet

Check out Handpresso for yourself, just click here.

10 Frugal Holiday Party Tips

711083_56975192A successful party doesn’t depend on the amount of money you spend. You can have a successful fun party if you spend time thinking and letting your creativity flow.

1. Serve ordinary drinks in pretty stemware garnered from thrift shops (they needn’t match) – and garnish them with extraordinary, yet simple, touches. Frugal Luxuries by Tracey Mcbride.

2. Have a potluck, its not only cheap its tasty too. Ask each guest to bring their favorite dish.

3. Some people think there needs to be many desserts to choose but most of the time more than half is left over. Cut down on the desserts and the money spent by making one or two desserts.

4. Stop cooking appetizers if you are having a meal, this is an extra step that is not needed.

5. Skip the bar tab and have each guest bring their favorite bottle of wine. Just specify it on the invite “Bring your favorite bottle of vino to share!”. 5 Frugal Yet Fab Holiday Party Tips – Ezine Articles.

6. Save money and be environmentally friendly by using your own dishes and silverware. F is for Frugal – Blissfully Domestic.

7. Make sure and have music playing in the background, it adds a festive touch to any event.

8. Bring the outdoors in to decorate with – Pine cones, evergreen clippings, and holly all make great holiday decorations and as an added bonus they make the house smell great.

9. Make your own invitations and hand deliver them to save on postage.

10. Borrow from friends any items you may be lacking, such as casserole dishes, serving trays and large punch bowls.

10 Alternative Uses for Vodka

31701_1395Vodka is not just for drinking anymore. In fact its been used for many many years as medicine, having been sold by druggists to cure everything from infertility to colic and the plague. I was surprised when I read these 10 weird uses for vodka on the Daily Green.

Here are 10 alternative uses for vodka:

  1. Treat Poison Ivy – Immediately pour vodka on skin that has come into contact with poison ivy, and the alcohol will wash away the itchy culprit. Some say the vodka needs to be at least 100 proof to work.
  2. Freshen Laundry – You can keep your clothes smelling fresher with vodka. Spritz your duds with the stuff, then hang to dry in a well-ventilated area. (Do a spot-test first to be safe.) Vodka kills odor-causing bacteria, but doesn’t leave a scent when dry.
  3. Shine your Fixtures – Its easy to get your chrome, glass and porcelain fixtures shining just moisten a soft, clean cloth with vodka, then apply a little elbow grease.
  4. Preserve Flowers – Add a few drops of vodka and a teaspoon of sugar to the water in your flower vase. It should help keep your flowers fresh longer. Change out the mixture with fresh ingredients daily.
  5. Repel Insects – DEET is no longer a safe repellent so give Vodka a try. Pour a little of the saucy spirit in a spray bottle and squirt on the little buggers, or yourself as a repellent.
  6. Soothe Jellyfish Stings – Vodka can also disinfect and alleviate some of the bite of a jellyfish sting.
  7. Get Great, Shiny Hair – Try this remedy for healthier, lush hair: Add a jigger of vodka to a 12-ounce bottle of shampoo.
  8. Clean Away Mold – Instead of harsh chemical sprays, try filling a recycled spray bottle with some bottom-shelf vodka. Spritz on, then let sit for 15 minutes. Scrub away with an old toothbrush (please don’t use your sister’s).
  9. Make a Soothing Lavender Tincture – Fill a clean glass jar with fresh lavender flowers, then top off with vodka. Seal the lid tightly and place in the sun for three days (same idea as making sun tea!) Strain the resulting liquid through a coffee filter, and poof! You have a homemade tincture to rub into aches and pains. You can pour into smaller bottles, decorate them and give them as unique gifts.
  10. Ease a Toothache – Try swishing a shot of vodka over the affected area. It can help disinfect, and should numb some of the pain in your gums. Just beware that your honey may accuse you of smelling like a saloon.