How To Do Everything

With the holiday season in full swing, people are buzzing around the kitchen.  Here is a great recipe for cornbread stuffing.  It is easy to follow and very tasty!

Ingredients:

• 1 pan of cornbread
• 2 boiled eggs
•  1 medium onion, diced
• 4 stalks of celery
• 1 16oz. can of chicken broth
• 1 16oz. can of cream of celery soup
• salt and pepper to taste
• cooked meat like ham, chicken, or turkey can be added

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a bowl, combine diced onions, diced celery, broth, soup, salt, and pepper, and cornbread. If you are going to add meat, add it at this time as well.
3. Bake at 375 degrees in the oven until the onion and celery are fully cooked and the dressing begins to brown.
4. Add the boiled eggs and cook for an additional 5-10more minutes.
5. Serve it up!

Did you know you could make cheap alcohol from table sugar?  This is done by fermenting granulated sugar with a particular type of yeast.  It can yield alcohol that is up to 40 proof .  The steps below will show you how to make a base alcohol that can be used to make a variety of other drinks.

1.  First, obtain a packet of distillers yeast or Super Yeast .  This it is the only type of yeast that can be used to ferment table sugar and yield 40 proof alcohol effectively.  To this type of yeast a special because it contains nutrients that can support the growth of the yeast and enable proper fermentation.
2. pick a vessel.  if you want 5.5 to 6 gallon batches you will need an a 7.5 Gallon food grade bucket and lid. These work well because you can easily pour the ingredients into the bucket and stir. For smaller batches you will only need a one gallon jug.  However, you will need a drilled rubber stopper that fits the airlock and the carboy or jug. You will need to leave some space in the bucket or jug, about 1.5 to 2 gallons should be fine.  This space is for the foam and gasses that will form during fermentation. The lid to the plastic bucket should have a hold drilled in the top and be fitted with a rubber grommet that will also fit the airlock during fermentation.  The lid will also need a rubber gasket or seal to create an airtight seal between the lid and the bucket.
3. Sanitize your equipment. You will need to sanitize your fermentation bucket, airlock, and a large spoon .  If the equipment is new cleansers may not be needed.  When sanitizing use in agent such as iodophor, that is made for brewing and winemaking.  All equipment needed is available at any home brewing or winemaking shops.  To fill the fermentation bucket to the top with sanitizer. remember to sanitize the lid and air lock
4. Determine how much sugar to use.  More sugar means more alcohol , but the yeast can only ferment a certain amount of sugar .  If you want 5.5 gallons of alcohol you will need no more in an 17.5 pounds of sugar. The packet of yeast will indicate how much sugar can be used.
5. Mix the sugar and warm water.  in a large metal potFoot , using your spoon , dissolve the sugar into the warm water.  You may use other tap water or bottled water.  fill the pot to 5.5 gallons With water that is about 90 degrees .  to avoid mixing in the bucket because it can cause scratches that may harbor bacteria rendering the bucket impossible to sanitize.  Once all the sugar has been dissolved , pour the solution into the plastic bucket .
6. Add the yeast.  Open the yeast packet and pour the contents into the sugar and water solution .  Stir if desired to homogenize.
7. Put the lid on your bucket.  Tightly push the lid onto the bucket to form an airtight seal.  This may prove to be difficult and they require some leverage .
8. Attach the air lock to the lid.  Push the air lock into the lid. Next, add clean water or vodka  to the inside of the air lock so carbon dioxide  can be released from the fermenting  solution and air can be kept out.
9. Allow the mixture to ferment.  the ambient air temperature should be between 70 and 80 degrees.  if the  temperature is cooler a device may be needed to ensure the proper fermentation Temperature .  it usually takes about two to ten days for the yeast to ferment the sugar and produced alcohol.  time varies depending on type of yeast used and how much sugar was added.  The more sugar the mixture contains the longer it will take to completely ferment .  You make noticed the air lock bubbling a lot during active fermentation  .  The bubbling will slow as fermentation slows and will stop when all or most of the sugar has been fermented.
10. Clarify  your  fermented liquid. Once fermentation is complete, you will want to use a fining agent like isinglass or a mixture of kieselsol and chitosan to remove suspended yeast and other materials. After adding the finings, you want to reseal your fermenter with the lidin and  the air lock and let the liquid clarify for 2-3 days.
11. Siphon off the alcohol.  carefully pour the alcoholic liquid into an airtight container. It will last about a month in this type of container .  If you would like it to last longer it must be bottled.

With the way the economy is these days everyone is looking for ways to reduce their bills and put more money in their pockets.  With a few simple tips you can easily begin to save money on heating costs.

1.  Adjust your thermostat gradually: As winter sets in and the weather gradually grows colder, your body can learn to adjust to the cold.  The trick is to set your thermostat gradually lower.  Every couple of days adjust the thermostat cooler and cooler.
2. Wear More Warm Clothing:  If you are going to reduce the room temperature of your home, you will want to gradually add clothing to maintain body temp.  Consider adding thermal (long underwear) underclothing, fuzzy slippers, an extra pair of socks, sweaters, and sweatshirts.
3. If you spend a lot of time with your bare feet touching the floor, consider propping them up on an old pillow.  Just lay the old pillow on the floor and put your feet on top.  This will help keep your feet warm by preventing them contact with the coldest part of your home, the floor.
4. Stuff Your Windows with Socks:  I may be getting some weird looks for this one…but if you have nothing else to use, then use old socks; preferably clean ones.  If you feel cold air coming in around your windows, cut up strips of socks or other material and stuff it into the cracks.  This method is cheaper and cleaner than caulking around your windows.  In the spring when it is time to open the windows again, just remove the socks and either clean them or throw them away.
5. Stop Air Coming in under the Door: Many homes have issues with air coming in under the doors.  You have a few options to stop this.  You can use an old throw rug by rolling it up and pushing it up against the door. You can also make a tube with material and stuff it with old socks and other clothing and place it in front of the door to dodge the draft.
6. Use the Power of the Sun:  On cold days that are still sunny, open your curtains and let the light shine in.  This will provide free passive solar heating.

If you are like most people, holiday’s can be a difficult time to manage.  Most people opt to visit more than one place on Thanksgiving.  There have been years where I’ve visited up to 3 different locations in one day.

1. Call everyone you would like to visit

2. Ask each household what time they are holding dinner/lunch/desert

3. If your schedule permits you can possibly visit more than one home for the same basic meal.  This year I had one family that started dinner at 1pm and one that started at 4pm.

4. Come early to one, leave early, arrive late

You can choose to go to one household early, perhaps to help cook, giving you ample chance to bond with your family pre-meal.  If you arrive on time to the next one, you can socialize during the meal and for a bit afterwards.  Finally, if you decide to go later…you may want to opt to go an hour or 2 after dinner officially started to arrive in time for dessert.

5. Just back out of one or more dinners

It happens, sometimes your schedule or energy level just doesn’t permit visiting more than one or two households.  When this occurs, you may have to gracefully back out of one or more invitations.

A good way to rectify any notion of hurt feelings is to offer them an alternative day to visit.  Holidays are important to many, especially the elderly.  Please remember to make sure that if you can’t be with your elderly friends or relatives that some one else will be there for them.

Here’s another great Altoids Tin Project!  Make a Pintoid or Pinhole Camera using an Altoids tin.  This isn’t a high-tech camera by any means….it will be great for capturing scenery or still life and that’s about it.  But it is a nifty little thing…and it makes a great gift for any photography enthusiast.

1. Drill a hole in the can: you will need to drill a hole about 1/4″ into the nutrition info on the can.  Be sure to file off any sharp edges and to sand the inside of the can.  Then spray paint the inside of the can flat black.

2. Make Pinhole Apparatus: You will need an acupuncture needle, 3 porcupine quills, and a sewing needle that has been glued into a clothespin.

3. Cut some small pieces from a metal pie tin: Using a piece of cardboard as backing, you will want to turn and press while holding the clothespin in a vertical position.  You are creating a round groove in the tin for the next step.

4. Make a Hole: Using the acupuncture needle make a hole in the tin. You will want to check the holes to ensure that they are round.  If the hole isn’t perfectly round, you will want to throw that piece away and start over.  The hole must be perfectly round.

5. Tape the Pinhole: Using Gaffer’s tape you will want to tape the pinhole to the inside of the 1/4″ hole you drilled.  Gaffer’s tape is a special type of black tape, it is cloth-like and flat black, unlike electrical tape.

6. Put tape on the outside of the Pinhole: You will want to make a shutter by placing a piece of black tape on the outside of the pinhole.  You can also use black cardboard.

7. Move to a Completely Dark Room: Next you will want to put the film inside the can.  You will need to move to a completely dark room then tape a strip of film inside the lid to the camera.  The emulsion side should be facing the pinhole so it will capture the image.

8. Close the lid: Now you will want to close the tin and wrap it with black electrical tape to prevent any light from leaking inside.

9. Make a Picture: Holes that are sewing needle size will need about 4 seconds of exposure on a sunny day.  If you are taking the photo inside, you may need anywhere from 10 minutes to hours depending on the amount of light in your home.  Acupuncture needle holes will need more time, about 1 minute on a sunny day.

10. Process and Develop:  If you know how, you can do this step by yourself.  If not, I would suggest going to someone who is familiar with developing film.

You may be feeling proud of yourself because you’re keeping up with the times by learning to text message.  You receive a message, you hit reply, and 5 minutes later you finally send off your reply.  Then before you know it, you’ve received an entire paragraph back from the other person.  Their response was so quick, it has left you wondering how they did it.  Practice, practice, practice!  This along with a few key tricks will allow you to learn to text faster.

1. Get To Know Your Phone:  The numbers 2-9 are associated with either 3 or 4 letter in alphabetic order.  Number 1 is reserved for punctuation and symbols.  Then number 0, *, and # also have other functions like; capitalization, forward to the next letter, and more symbols.

2. Learn to Use Predictive Text (T9, iTap, or Word): Turn on predictive text by going to the messaging settings menu on your phone.  Look for “input method” or “default edit mode” then choose “predictive”.  This may require a bit of getting used to if you’ve never used predictive text.  When using predictive text, you simply press the number on the keypad once for the letter you want, then the phone will guess what word you want and will fill it in.

•  For example: if you wanted to type “wikihow” press 9-4-5-4-4-6-9.  If your phone has choosen an incorrect word, just pick the correct one.  On some phones, they will give you a menu that will allow you to scroll down and select the correct word, and on some you can press the * key until you find the correct word.
• iTap: sometimes you phone will guess the word before you finish typing it.  If your phone has iTap, you can type 3 characters and then choose from the words available.  After you choose your word, the phone will put it in and then give you a space after the word so you can continue typing.
• When using predictive text, be sure to proofread your message before you send it.  Sometimes the phone will guess words incorrectly and you may end up sending a message that makes no sense, or may be inappropriate.

3. Know when to use the forward key:  If your phone doesn’t come equiped with predictive texting you will have to press a button to type the first letter a number represents, 2x for the second letter, and 3x for the third, maybe once more for a 4th letter in the case of s and z, and then again for a number.  Just be careful and make sure what you are trying to insert actually shows up.  One solution is to press the forward key in between letters, it usually looks like this “(|_|),” a square U.  The only other time you need to press the forward key is inbetween words to create a space between them.

4. Learn Texting Language:  This is basically an electronic version of shorthand.  You do not need to memorize hundreds of words, just the ones you use frequently.

• Too or to = 2
• For = 4
• You = u
• Your/You’re = ur
• Are = r
• Be = b
• Be right back = brb
• Talk to you later = ttyl
• Peace = pc/pce
• Nothing much =nm
• Just chillin = jc
• Never Mind = nvm
• Right = ryt
• Probably = prbly
• Ta ta for now = ttfn
• Back to homework = bthw
• What =wat
• Just wondering = jw

4. Make Templates for Common Phrases: Some phones come preloaded with texting templates that are supposed to be the most commonly used messages.  If these aren’t right for you, you can often create your own.  Some of the most common phrases, especially those that come preloaded are:

• What are you up to?
• Just checking in.
• Where are you?
•  I’ll be right there.
• I’ll be home soon.
• Running late.
• Let’s catch up soon.
• Hey, what’s up?

These steps should get you typing in the right direction and as fast as everyone else, if not faster!

Every 4 years on November 4th, we drag ourselves to our designated poling place to vote for the presidential candidate of our choice.  Then in mid-December, the president and vice president are actually elected by the votes of 538 citizens, known as the “electors” of the Electoral College.

BUT HOW DO THEY ELECT A PRESIDENT?

When you cast your vote for president, you are actually instructing the electors that represent your state on how to cast their votes.  If you vote for a Republican candidate, you are actually voting for an elector who has pledged to vote for a Republican candidate. If a candidate wins the popular vote in a particular state, they have won all the pledged votes from the electors of that state.

This system was created in Article II of the Constitution and amended in 1804 by the 12th Amendment.  In this system each state receives electors that are equal to its members in the U.S. House of Representatives plus one for each of its 2 U.S. Senators.

State law governs how many electors are picked and are often selected by the political party committees in a state.  Each elector can cast one vote.  There are currently 538 electors, of which 270 most vote on one candidate to win an election. This also means that states that have a larger population will have more Electoral College votes.

If no candidate wins 270 electoral votes the 12th Amendment will be enacted and the election will be decided by the House of Representatives.  The representatives of each state will get to cast one vote and a simple majority of states is needed to win.  This process has only taken place 2 times.  Presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams were both elected by the House of Representatives.

Eventhough the electors have “pledged” to vote for the party that chose them, nothing in the Constitution or otherwise requires them to.  In rare occurrences, an elector will vote faithlessly, but these votes often do not change the outcome of an election and some states have laws that prevent faithless votes from counting.

Do you use Altoids?  Ever look at one of those neatly constructed tin cans and wonder if it may have more uses.  Well, of course they do!  These cans come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are quite sturdy.  Below are 10 uses you may not have thought about for that old Altoids can.

First, you will want to remove any leftover candy and wash the tin using soap and rinsing it out well.  Also, be sure to dry it very well to prevent rust.

USES

1. Make a guitar out of it

2. Make a pintoid camera

3.  Make an Ipod Shuffle case

4.  Make an on-the-go drawing or painting case

5. Make a pocket craft kit

6. Make a travel sewing kit

7. Make a fire starting kit

8. Make a mini first-aid kit

9. Make a pill case

10.  Make a business card case
Here is a link to the main article where you can find links to individual projects:
Altoids Uses

Is it time to upgrade your shower curtain?  Is it showing some holes or is the design faded?  Before you decide to throw the old one out, consider keeping it to use around the house.   Below are some great ways to prep and use that old shower curtain.

** Wash the curtain.  You can wash a shower curtain in the washer by putting in a cold, gentle wash.  This will help to remove soap scum and mold.  When done washing, hang it out to dry.  If it has finished its cycle and still needs cleaning, throw it back in with some soft items like towels or socks. At the end of the cycle, remove the curtain, and respin the soft items.

1. Use it as a drop cloth.  You can easily use an old shower curtain as a drop cloth for small painting or redecorating jobs.  Just lay the curtain on the area you want to protect from paint, sawdust, or masonry dust.

2.  Protect your floor, while the little ones finger paint.  Just lay the curtain on the floor then cover with newspapers.  The children can enjoy painting the papers on top, while the curtain protects your floor.

3. Make a Water Slide.  In the summer, tack or peg down the shower curtain on a small slope and run the hose down it.  This gives the children a small water slide in their own backyard.
4. Protect outdoor furniture. Draping a shower curtain over your outdoor furniture to protect it from the rain is a great and easy use for an old curtain.  Just wrap the piece of furniture in the shower curtain and then tuck it under the legs or base of the item.  You can further secure it using strings or elastic.
5. Cover your grill.  If you don’t already have a cover for your outdoor barbecue grill, a shower curtain can be a great fix.  You can also use it to cover your lawn mower.  Just make sure that either item you are covering is completely cool before you do so, or your curtain could melt to the item.
6. Make a Pattern.  If you don’t like using the paper pattern pieces that come with your sewing pattern then turn them into plastic using an old shower curtain.  Just lay your pattern pieces on top of the shower curtain and pin them into place. Next, outline the pieces with a permenant marker and also put any notations you may need on them.  Then cut them out.  You can easily store these pieces by rolling them up and placing in a zip-lock baggie.  You can also easily keep track of them by writing what pattern they are on the outside of the baggie.

7. Use it to sit on the grass.  Put the old shower curtain in the trunk of your car, with some old blankets.  The next time you are out and want to sit in the grass, just lay the curtain down and then the blankets on top of it.  The curtain will protect you from any moisture that may be lurking on the ground.

8. Use it for working on the car.  You can keep it in the garage or in the trunk of your car.  Lay it underneath the car, to avoid staining your clothing on the ground.  You can also remove any spills that occur by quickly wiping it with a cloth or towel.

9. Use it when camping.  By attaching your (not clear) shower curtain to the spines of an open umbrella that is hung upside down from a branch, you  have created a changing room or even a small bathing room.

10. Make a sled.  You can either choose to go it alone or have a few people in a line on a curtain.  Just have the front person pull up their end over their feet and get a good push and you are off.  You may consider using the top of the curtain where the holes are to secure some rope.  This way you can steer the sled more easily.

First you may ask,”what is morse code?”  Morse code is an alphabetic code devised of short and long sounds.  Each letter of the alphabet has a corresponding sound or series of sounds that represent it.  Long sounds are referred to as dashes and the short sounds are dots.

Morse code was invented by Samuel F.B. Morse and it was designed for quick transmissions via telegraph. It was first used in the 1840s and it is still used today.  However, today it is primarily used by amateur radio operators.  Even though it was designed for use with the telegraph there are numerous other ways to communicate using Morse code.  For example, you can use a flashlight to signal out the dots and dashes with light. Below are some tips to help you learn how to speak and understand Morse code.

1.  Listen to some slow Morse code recordings.  You will be listening for a series of dots and dashes (dits and dahs). Dots or dits are short sounds and Dashes or dahs are long sounds, usually 3 times longer than a dot.  Each letter is separated with a short pause and each word by a pause that is 3 times longer.  You can look for free recordings or purchase them online.  You may even consider purchasing a short-wave receiver to listen to the real thing in action.  Some prefer the Farnsworth method, which involves listening to the code at high speed but with long spaces in between leters.  As your proficiency improves the spaces are reduced.

A basic Morse Code chart

2. Reference a copy of the Morse Code alphabet.  You can learn from using a basic chart that just includes the alphabetic letters or you may choose to use a more advanced chart that includes punctuation, abbreviations, prosigns, and Q Codes.  Listen to a recording or live code and try to match up what you heard.  For some, it may be easier to learn by writing down the letters using the dots and dashes and then comparing it to a chart.

3. Practice translating simple words and sentences into Morse code.  In the beginning it may be easier to write it down then sounding it out.  However, eventually you will need to be able to transition straight to sounding it out.  Try it with the word “cat”.  -.-.   .-   -  it would be pronounced as:  dah-di-dah-di di-dah dah

4. Try memorizing the easy letters first.  For example, a single dah is a “T” and a single dit is an “E”.  The progress to the letter “M” (dah-dah) and the letter “I” (dit-dit).  Then begin to memorize the letters  that have 3 or 4 dits or dahs in a row.  Once you’ve mastered this then memorize the combinations.

5. Try using associations.  When trying to learn the letters think of things that sound alike.  For example: the letter “C” is dah-dit-dah-dit (long short long short).   Next try to think of a word that starts with c that uses that pattern like catastrophic or Nanny for N because it is dah-dit.  Another option is to associate the Morse code pronunciations with tunes or melodies.  A great example of this would be Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.  It begins with dit-dit-dit-day, which translates to the letter “V”, which is the Roman numeral 5.

6. Get others involved!  If you get your friends to learn with you, it may be easier.  You may even learn how to blink code to send messages to your friends when you are in an unpleasant situation.  You can use written morse cods as sort of a secret language.  You can even give someone a Morse Code greeting card.