We all wash our clothes and vacuum our floors on a regular basis but there are many items in our homes we tend to neglect! Here are five that you should keep on your radar when planning your Spring cleaning this year…

1. <strong>Bed Pillows</strong> – We all wash our sheets but the bed pillows tend to get forgotten. Throw them in with your next load of laundry.

2. <strong>Dishwasher</strong> – Every once in a while it’s important to grab a cloth and remove all of the debris and food particles from the bottom of your dishwasher. You can set a glass of vinegar on the top rack and run a cycle with hot water to get it really clean!

3. <strong>Kitchen Sink</strong> – Leftover food or bacteria can get into a sink that hasn’t been cleaned. Try plugging your drain and fill the sink with warm soapy water to give it a good rinse.

4. <strong>Bathroom Rugs</strong> – Just like your pillows, these can be put in the washing machine. Just hang them to dry and they will be ready for use!

5. <strong>Couches</strong> – Next time you are vacuuming your carpets, use your vacuum attachment (or handheld vacuum) to give your couch a once over. This will help remove any dust and dirt that has piled up.

Safety in the home is important. Besides having risk detectors and fire extinguishers, it’s important to also have your own first aid kid in case of emergency. Check your house to make sure you have these essential items and if not, pick them up the next time you are out shopping!

(List created by the <a href=”http://www.redcross.org/prepare/location/home-family/get-kit/anatomy”>Red Cross</a>)

Whether you buy a first aid kit or put one together, make sure it has all the items you may need:
•
• Include any personal items such as medications and emergency phone numbers
• Check the kit regularly.
• Make sure the flashlight batteries work.
• Check expiration dates and replace any used or out-of-date contents.
The Red Cross recommends that all first aid kits for a family of four include the following:
•
• 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
• 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
• 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
• 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)
• 5 antiseptic wipe packets
• 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
• 1 blanket (space blanket)
• 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
• 1 instant cold compress
• 2 pair of nonlatex gloves (size: large)
• 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each)
• Scissors
• 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)
• 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
• 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches)
• 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
• Oral thermometer (non-mercury/nonglass)
• 2 triangular bandages
• Tweezers
• First aid instruction booklet

It won’t be long before we all start our “spring cleaning.” Why not get a head start and prepare the inside of your home for the next season that’s heading our way!

1. Start buying bins/bags to store your winter clothes. Vacuum seal bags are great space savers and can be stored right under your bed when it’s time to pack away winter clothes.

2. Figure out what clothes you want to donate. With only a few more weeks (hopefully) of winter weather it’s time to start deciding which winter clothing items are going to make the cut.

3. Clean out your pantry. When the weather warms up the last thing you’ll want to be doing is sorting through the pantry checking expiration dates! Toss anything that has expired and consider donating any unwanted can goods to your local food shelter.

4. Stock up on cleaning supplies. Have a coupon for cleaning materials now? Buy them in preparation for your big “spring clean.”

5. Pack up the seasonal decor. Yes it’s almost March but some of us still haven’t put our holiday decor! Pack it up in boxes that are labeled so you can easily find them when the time comes again.

Watch the video below to learn how to make your own chalkboard wine glasses! These are great to use for parties so everyone can label their own glass!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtqWcy-uOpo&w=560&h=315]

Grace Restaurant
15 Chestnust St Portland ME
<img src=”{filedir_1}grace.jpg” alt=”” height=”466″ width=”610″ />
When you visit Portland, Grace Restaurant has to be on your top of list for places to visit. Grace Restaurant offers a first rate menu in an atmosphere of artistic mastery. In 2009, the Chestnut Street Church, in downtown Portland reinvented as a sister restaurant to the very successful Foreside Tavern in Falmouth. The building itself dates back to 1856-1857 and is on the National Registry of Historic Places and is one of the few surviving examples of early Goth Revival style in Portland. The wood work is unbelievable and the stain glass windows will take your breath away. The building is a true masterpiece, whether you go for dinner or drinks or just to stop by and look around, there is nothing like it!
<img src=”{filedir_1}grace2.jpg” alt=”” height=”466″ width=”610″ />

Is your apartment feeling drab since Winter has hit us? It’s time to brighten up your rooms! Just by adding one or two new features to a room can make it look brighter and brand new! Here are some ways you can brighten up any room in your home.

<strong>1. Add mirrors</strong> – We all know the trick that mirrors make rooms look bigger, but they also add a touch of light and sparkle that will brighten up a dreary space.

<strong>2. Get some indoor plants</strong> – Nothing says Spring like some greenery in your home! Pick up a couple potted plants next time you are out and place them next to open windows.

<strong>3. Hang bright artwork</strong> – There’s a way to brighten up your walls without adding a coat of paint – add a picture instead! Bright-colored paintings can change the whole look and feel of a room.

<strong>4. Rearrange furniture</strong> – If you’re just in need of a change try rearranging your furniture! When you are done you will feel like you’re sitting in a brand new room.

<strong>5. Fresh flowers</strong> – Flowers can brighten up anyone’s day. You don’t have to wait for someone special to give you a bouquet – pick one up yourself! Having fresh-cut flowers in a room is a sure way to brighten a room and your mood all in one!

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 40 min. Bake: 20 min. + cooling
MAKES:16 servings

Ingredients
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1-1/2 cups 2% milk
• CHOCOLATE FROSTING:
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 4-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• RASPBERRY FILLING:
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup red raspberry preserves
• 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon raspberry liqueur
• CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE:
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• Chocolate curls and fresh raspberries

Nutritional Facts
1 slice (calculated without chocolate curls and raspberries) equals 656 calories, 31 g fat (19 g saturated fat), 106 mg cholesterol, 301 mg sodium, 94 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein.

A week ago I woke up with the tickle in the back of my throat that means one thing: a cold is coming.

I immediately started taking Zicam for zinc, Airborne for Echinacea, and using saline nasal spray. Thinking I’d do almost anything to keep from spending the next ten days feeling miserable, I asked my Facebook friends for their cold remedies. I tried as many of their suggestions as I could, and other than three days of annoying sniffles I didn’t really get that I-want-to-remove-my-head-from-my-body sick that I usually do.

For what it’s worth, here’s what my friends suggest:

– Echinacea, two capsules two to three times a day.
– Green tea. Lots of it.
– Sleep and Netflix
– A good curry (Thai or Indian), as spicy hot as you can stand it.
– Hot Toddies – ginger and whiskey
– Lomatium, a native American tincture used for respiratory illness. It works best if taken at first sign of illness.
– Oregano Oil, which comes in pill form.
– Zinc, 50 mg every two hours for four times in one day
– Tom Yum Soup!
– T.o.d.d.y. Not sure if it actually cures anything but you should feel better!
– Umcka Cold and Flu; Sambucus; and Oscillococcinum all work quite well. First and third are homeopathic and the second is herbal.
– Esberitox (branded echinacea)
– Sudafed 24hr from behind the counter to keep your head clear. Once it gets full it’s harder to stop.
– Oranges, tangerines, tangelos, etc.
– Saline solution for nostrils and nasal passages, Neti pot

You may remember from a previous blog (“Sports Superstitions – do they work?”) that I am not a die-hard sports fan. Therefore, this Sunday, for me, is more about the cute commercials and the good food that are traditional parts of “Super Bowl Sunday”… (Super Bowl is this Sunday, right?)

A friend of mine, who I suspect feels the same way I do about the game, posted this Kraft recipe and it had all the necessary ingredients; cream cheese (guilty pleasure), hot sauce (as much as you want), and it’s easy. Just my speed. There are a few other ingredients like chicken and cheese which only add to my anticipation of enjoying this real soon, like on Sunday.

So here it is, enjoy, and GO Denver and Seattle! (aren’t you impressed I know who’s playing?!)

http://myphil.ly/19YT91X (go to this link for reviews and tips)

PHILADELPHIA Buffalo Chicken Dip

What You Need
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (6 oz.) OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Oven Roasted Chicken Breast
½ cup FRANK’S® RedHot® Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
¼ cup KRAFT Natural Blue Cheese Crumbles
2 green onions, sliced

Make It
SPREAD cream cheese onto bottom of microwaveable 9-inch pie plate.
COMBINE chicken and pepper sauce; spoon over cream cheese. Top with blue cheese and onions.
MICROWAVE on HIGH 2 min. or until heated through.
(a few reviewers suggested baking instead of microwaving, I think I would agree)

TOTAL TIME: Prep/Total Time: 25 min.
MAKES: 8 servings
Ingredients
•
2 cups all-purpose flour
•
1/2 teaspoon salt
•
1/4 teaspoon pepper
•
2 eggs
•
1 cup milk
•
3 cups thin dill pickle slices, drained
•
Oil for deep-fat frying
•
Ranch salad dressing, optional

Directions
1. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. In another bowl, beat eggs and milk. Blot pickles with paper towels to remove moisture. Coat pickles with flour mixture, then dip in egg mixture; coat again with flour mixture.
2. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry pickles, about 10 at a time, for 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with ranch dressing if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

Originally published as Fried Dill Pickle Coins in Taste of Home August/September 2004,