Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Here is Your Holiday Stress Free Guide

The holidays can be a stressful time for any family. This is part two of our stress free holiday series. However, in this blog we will focus on the planning of your holiday. These helpful tips will help you with that stress free holiday of your dreams. You can learn more atmoneycrashers.com.

Plan the Perfect Holiday


It’s important to remember that there is more to Christmas than the giving and receiving of gifts – there are decorations to be made and hung, food to be prepared and served, and homes to be cleaned for guests. However, if you can stay within your budget and set aside sufficient time to complete all these tasks, you and your guests will delight in a stress-free and memorable holiday.
Gifts


The bulk of time and money spent each Christmas revolves around gifts – choosing, buying, and wrapping presents for those we love. This year, consider the following: 

A Family Gift Exchange. As families get larger, the costs of buying gifts can be a financial burden. To reduce costs and the time spent shopping, establish a dollar limit for the individual gifts, as well as any other desired criteria (for example, only clothes, toys, books, and gift cards).

Gift Cards. Gift cards allow the receiver to pick his or her perfect gift. In fact, more than 77% of shoppers gifted cards in 2011. Most retailers offer their own, and also accept gift cards issued by major credit card companies, which can be combined to purchase more expensive items. However, when choosing a gift card, be aware that some may charge inactivity fees after one year if the card isn’t used.

Internet Shopping. Shopping online is faster, often cheaper, and far more convenient than visiting brick-and-mortar stores. It is easy to compare prices, gift wrapping is often available, and your purchase can be delivered wherever you choose. Most Internet retailers also guarantee delivery by a certain date.

Price Comparison Apps. Shopping apps enable in-store price comparisons and an easy way to verify and obtain discount coupons to save more money. Consider free apps, such as Price Check for Android devices and Google Shopper for the iPhone.

Personalized, Inexpensive Gifts. These are unique and meaningful. For example, the small illustrated book “I Like You” with a personal note to a family member, business associate, or friend will be cherished and kept for a lifetime. A letter to a friend recalling a special time together or simply telling a loved one how much they mean to you will be remembered for years and always appreciated.

Paid Gift Wrapping. Paying to have your gifts wrapped can save you time as well as money spent on excess wrapping paper, tape, bows, and gift cards. Many retailers offer an in-house service and include free gift wrapping with each purchase. Professional gift wrappers charge a different rate for different sizes of packages, which can run as low as $5.

Charitable Donations. Making donations to charity in lieu of buying and receiving gifts can make you feel good, and it teaches your children the joy of giving while helping those less fortunate. Consider 

Alternative Gifts International, where $45 feeds an American family of five for a week;Heifer International, which provides domestic animals, such as cows, sheep, goats, and chickens to poor families around the world; or Kiva, which makes micro-loans to third world entrepreneurs. 

If your holiday includes children, involve them in the gifting process so they can learn how much better it feels to give than to receive. Take them shopping to buy inexpensive Christmas gifts that they can wrap themselves. Let them print their names on the gift cards and pass out the presents they’ve purchased and wrapped.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Stress Relief Around the Holidays Part 1

Are you stressed about the holidays? There is a way you can have a stress free holiday season. In part one of this blog, we will discuss how you can relieve some stress in your meal preparation. Make sure to read next week's blog about decorating!  You can learn more at moneycrashers.

Food


While turkey is now the most common dish served during Christmas Day dinners around the world (replacing Tiny Tim’s roasted goose), fried chicken, ham, and fish remain popular. Our childhood memories of Christmases past often include aromatic, mouthwatering, belly-filling, belt-busting meals of savory meats, fresh vegetables, and sugary, meringue-topped desserts, but rarely the hours of exhaustive preparation, mounds of dirty pots and pans, and obligatory cleanup by those responsible for our repasts.


Try the following to save time in the kitchen this year:


Bake and Freeze in Advance. Rolls, coffee cakes, muffins, and breads can be made, shaped, placed in pans, and frozen up to six months before serving. Unbaked pies and cookies can be prepared up to two months before a meal. Appetizers and casseroles taste just as delicious even if they have been frozen for months. Spreading your food preparation over several weekends before the crunch of the season can help to keep you sane and rested.

Use Professionals. Many grocery stores and restaurants offer holiday specials where complete meals are delivered or can be picked up the day before Christmas, so your only duty is to pop them in the oven and serve. The ability to choose à la carte allows for a selection of not only different foods, but different caterers.

Share Cooking and Cleaning Duties. To spread the workload around, one member of the family can bring appetizers, another can supply a vegetable dish, and another can provide dessert, already agreed to beforehand to ensure everyone’s favorites will be available. Cleanup is also shared – those who eat but don’t cook must clean.

Things to Know About Your Party

Are you hosting a holiday get together this year?  You may be stressed, but there are a few things that are not worth stressing over.  Your guests want to have a good time, but they do not need everything to be perfect.  Here are three focus points for your dinner party, and a few things you should not worry about.   You can learn more at Apartment Therapy.



What to not focus on:

Having a picture-perfect setting. We all want to put our best foot forward, but holding your home to shelter mag standards is hardly necessary. So there are some half-built shelves in the living room; string some fairy lights on them and call in a feature! Putting off a party because your house isn't up to par only results in missed opportunities. Same goes for cleanliness. While I'd never advise having guests over without at least a quick clean, focus on the things that matter: a sparkling bathroom, relatively dust-free surfaces, a clutter-free living room. No one will care if your medicine cabinet or fridge are organized, and no one will notice if the walls in the entryway need a scrub. Low lighting and the distraction of good conversation can work wonders.

Whether all the food is homemade. As someone who loves to cook and entertain, I've fallen into this trap more than once. Serving an array of finger food while guests arrive? Better make three kinds of flatbreads and homemade hummus, then. Store-bought ice cream with that pie? Not at my dinner party!This, quite frankly, is exhausting and ridiculous. If you can swing a 100% homemade meal, by all means go for it, but otherwise, cut yourself some slack. Good breads, cheeses and olives always go down a treat as pre-dinner nibbles, as does a bakery-bought dessert if you're not a natural baker. Even consider ordering in the main if that's your thing: as long as it's tasty and abundant, no one will care where it came from.

The group dynamic. When mixing friend groups, it's easy to worry about whether everybody will hit it off. Equal numbers of guys and girls, whether every guest has a "buddy" other than you: my advice is not to worry about these things, and choose your guests based on their fab and mesh-able personalities. Think about it like this: you're an awesome person with awesome taste in friends. All yours friends are thus, similarly awesome. Everyone will be friends by the time dessert rolls around, anyway.

Instead, focus your energy here:

Presentation. While I'm not suggesting Martha levels of prep are always necessary, I do think that presentation is the best way to make your guests think they're getting a Michelin-star meal (even if you did buy half of it at the deli around the corner). Toss a simple salad on a beautiful platter, arrange the cheeseboard with care. Don't ignore the table either: flowers, candles, place cards if you're so inclined— all will create the sense of a considered, yet effortless, occasion.

Abundance. It's always better to have too much food and drink than too little. Offer more dessert, even if everyone is stuffed. Bring out tea and coffee. Heck, send guests home with leftovers for their lunch the next day! I keep cheap plastic take-out containers around for this purpose, and it's a huge compliment when someone eagerly takes me up on the offer.

Enjoyment. If you're enjoying yourself, so will your guests. Answer the door with a drink in your hand and a smile on your face. If you're stuck in the kitchen for a bit, take up an offer to join you and help. They came to see you, after all.

Make That House Into A Home

Does your apartment feel like your home yet? We have four great tips to help you get that homey feeling that you are looking for. Lighting, artowrk, and a few other things will help you achieve your goals. Read this blog and get excited about coming home! You can learn more at Apartment Therapy.


The Right Lighting: Lighting is one of the quickest ways to change the feeling of a room. If you are only using your overhead lights, you are missing an important part of the equation. By having different levels and placement, you can create an atmosphere that's comfortable and cozy for guests to relax in.


Well-Chosen Artwork: What you have on the wall should reflect who you are, what you like, and what makes you happy every day. The artist or the source is less important than how it makes you feel. Plus, artwork adds a different layer to your walls — color and interest. Don't forget that non-traditional things can be stand in for art as well. When framed and/or put in a place of honor, an instrument, postage stamps, or shoes also show your personality.


Fill It With People: The most important thing in the home are the memories you create while living there. If you work at all hours of the night, and only return home to sleep, then those warm fuzzy feelings about your abode are few and far between. Similarly, open your doors to others and invite them to share your space.


Personalized Details: All of us have lived in boring, blank boxes at some point — whether it’s a dorm room, or a standard builder-grade home, that aren’t perfect, might be temporary, or are just we were are at that moment in our lives. Even with standard and predictable finishes, it’s easy to tweak your space enough to make it reflect your personal taste. If you are renting, stick to swapping out hardware or painting furniture. These needn’t be large massive changes, but small tweaks and choices that make you smile and feel good about where you are.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving with your friends and family!

The Perfect Apple Pie

What is your favorite holiday dessert? We love baking apple pies!  However, baking a pie to have it fall apart is something that no one wants to experience.  We have gathered five baking tips to make the perfect apple pie every time.  You can learn more at Apartment Therapy.



1. Using the wrong variety of apple.

When choosing apples for your pie, keep in mind that all apples were not created equal. Just because your favorite apple variety is perfect for eating out of hand, doesn't necessarily mean it's the best choice when it comes to making pie. Certain apple varieties, as well as overripe fruit, will break down quite a lot during baking, leaving you with mushy pie filling.


→ Follow this tip: Choose your apples with care. The best apples for baking provide a nice blend of sweet-tart flavor, and hold their shape well under high heat. Some of the best varieties for baking include, Cortland, Empire, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, and Honeycrip. It's also nice to use a blend of apples to vary the taste and texture of the filling.

2. Not chilling the pie dough.

Nothing beats tender, flaky pie crust. And, there's one key to making this happen every single time - chilling your pie dough. This step is important for two reasons — it re-solidifies the butter, and allows also the gluten to relax and de-activate. Not taking time to rest and chill the dough will result in pie crust that's tough and more likely to shrink during baking.


→ Follow this tip: When making pie crust, keeping it cold is the rule to live by, starting with using cold butter to prepare the dough. After making the dough divide it into two equal portions (assuming you're making a double-crust pie), form it into disks, cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Then, chill the dough again after its been rolled and placed in the pie dish, before filling it. Also consider popping your fully assembled pie in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes before putting it on the oven.
3. Not using egg wash.

This last little step before the pie goes into the oven is so easy to overlook. Skipping this is also one of my pet peeves when it comes to double-crusted pie. Again, it's a small step and it doesn't affect the taste of the pie, so much as it affects its appearance. But, that's equally as important! Egg wash gives the pie crust a nice golden brown color and beautiful, glossy sheen.


→ Follow this tip: Whisk together 1 egg, plus 1 tablespoon of cream or milk, then brush over the top layer of dough once the pie is completely assembled.

4. Not pre-baking your pumpkin pie crust.

If you've got plans to bake a pumpkin pie, or any other custard-based pie, take note, because this is crucial. This step is also known as blind baking, and requires that the bottom crust be partially baked before the filling is added. Skip this and you'll find yourself with an soggy, under-baked pie crust that's totally inedible.


→ Follow this tip: Blind baking is necessary when making a custard pie, like pumpkin, and when the pie filling doesn't get baked.

5. Cracked pumpkin pie.

Have you ever taken a perfect-looking pumpkin pie out of the oven, only to have the center cracked once the pie cools? This is the result of overcooking. Even though the pie may not looked overcooked when it comes out of the oven, residual heat continues to cook the dessert, and the overcooked eggs are the cause of the crack.


→ Follow this tip: Remove the pie from the oven as soon as the filling sets, but before it completely firms up.

Tips For Cleaning Brushes

How many makeup brushes do you have?  Did you know it is important to clean these brushes to prevent bacteria from forming?  This task is often overlooked.  However, if you you keep your brushes clean it can help with clear skin everyday.  You can learn more at Apartment Therapy.

What You Need

Materials

• Castile soap or organic baby shampoo
• Hydrogen Peroxide (optional)
• Warm water

Tools

• Glass or small bowl
• Clean cloth or paper towel

Instructions

1. Whether or not your brush looks clean, the bristles are porous and are more than likely harboring bacteria and oils that you won't want on your face. Before mixing the solution, wipe your brush off with a dry cloth. You'll be surprised how much makeup you can remove with this simple step.

2. Add a few drops of castile soap or baby shampoo to a bowl of warm water. I used Dr. Bronner's unscented baby-mild castile soap which is fragrance free and contains double the amount of olive oil, perfect for my sensitive skin. At this point you can also add hydrogen peroxide to the solution as an anti-bacterial.

3. Gently swish the brush around in the mixture. You may allow the brush to sit in the solution for up to ten minutes.

4. Remove the brush from the solution and wipe down a clean rag to remove any excess moisture from the brush.

5. Reshape the brush and lay flat to dry.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Fun Facts: The movie "Halloween" was made in only 21 days in 1978 on a very limited budget.  You can learn more here. 

Make These Halloween Treats

Halloween is just one week away.  What treats are you making this year?  Here is a delicious Halloween recipe that is easy to make and perfect for any party.  You can learn more here.

Ways to Preserve Your Pumpkin

Do you pick a pumpkin every year?  You probably do not want your pumpkin to rot after only a few days.  We have gathered some great tips on the jack-o-lantern season.  These will help you pick the best pumpkin and keep it fresh as long as possible.  You can learn more at Apartment Therapy.



3 Tips for Picking a Good Pumpkin

The best way to ensure the longevity of your Jack-o’-lantern is to begin with a healthy pumpkin. While there’s no such thing as the "perfect" pumpkin, there are several things you can look for to get your Jack-o’-lantern off to a great start.

Inspect the skin. When you select a pumpkin, keep an eye out for gouges or blemishes. While dings and dents may give a pumpkin character, they also invite rotting and pests.

Poke and prod. If a pumpkin is even a little soft in the patch or pile, the rotting process is already underway. What begins as a small, soft spot can grow into a large, caved-in mess overnight. Look for a pumpkin with even color and firm flesh. Poke around to find one that doesn’t give when pressed gently.

Pick local. Purchasing from a local pumpkin patch means your pumpkin has been spared the bruising and battering that comes along with being shipped across the country in a back of a truck. Check out Local Harvest for a listing of pumpkin growers and U-pick farms in your area.




Understand What Makes a Pumpkin Rot

Once you’ve found your perfect pumpkin, it’s time to dig in. But first, it is important to understand the factors that lead to pumpkin rot. Pumpkin skin provides a protective layer from the elements. Once the skin is broken, organisms like fungi, bacteria, molds and insects are able to enter and begin breaking it down. Oxidation and dehydration also contribute to the rotting process, which means from the moment you make the first cut, the clock starts ticking.

Many methods for sterilizing and preserving pumpkins involve the unnecessary use of harsh chemicals and environmentally unfriendly solutions. Common tricks include using bleach or apple cider vinegar, but Mat says NO to this. Bleach is dangerous and apple cider vinegar will only attract bugs.




5 Natural Ways to Extend the Life of Your Pumpkin

Scrape and discard the "pumpkin guts". When prepping your pumpkin for carving, be sure to scrape and discard as much of the pulp (aka “pumpkin guts”) as possible. The cleaner and drier the pumpkin interior, the slower the rotting process.

Clean with peppermint dish soap. Dilute one tablespoon of peppermint dish soap such as Peppermint 

Castile Soap in a quart of water. Pour into a clean spray bottle. Lightly spray the inside of your pumpkin. Peppermint is an antifungal and will slow the decomposition process, significantly extending the life of your pumpkin.

Consider refrigerating overnight. If you live in a warm climate, consider placing your carved pumpkins in the fridge at night instead of leaving them on the porch. Spray your pumpkins with the 

Castile-water mixture and wrap in a trash bag prior to placing in the fridge. This process will rehydrate your pumpkins each night.

Consider soaking overnight. Another way to rehydrate your pumpkins is to fill a large bucket, bin or tub with cold water. Soak pumpkins overnight. Typically, pumpkins set out for less than a week won’t need rehydration, especially if you live in a cool climate. If you notice yours beginning to wilt, however, take them for a dip!

Use a fruit fly trap. Much like any other produce you bring into your home, pumpkins attract fruit flies. Drawn to rotting fruit and vegetables, fruit flies will expedite the process, leaving a damaged pumpkin and an infestation behind. Natural fruit fly solutions, like Aunt Fannie’s FlyPunch! or this DIY mixture, are a poison-free way to prevent fruit flies from settling in to do damage. Your pumpkin lives to see another day, and your home remains free from invaders.

Safest Place to Hide Valuables

Are you always looking for somewhere in your home to safely store your valuables?  Here are a few inconspicuous places that are perfect for storing jewelry, money, or family heirlooms.   Keep reading to get some ideas, and you can learn more at Apartment Therapy.

Here are several spots where valuables can be stored in disguise:

Air Vents: Install one of these faux air vent storage units in a hallway or bathroom and it's very unlikely burglars would bother to even considering searching inside (especially if installed near the ceiling).

Bedroom Mirror: What looks like a typical bedroom mirror is actually a wall-installed hidden medicine-cabinet-style storage unit. The $400.00 secret storage mirror isn't a small installation project, but it will store larger items easily.

Wall Art: This crafty network hardware storage solution by Mamamekko is still one of our favorite decor + tech disguises. Use the same idea for storing away valuables, covering an old medicine cabinet with a similarly mounted and hinged canvas piece.

Pantry Items and Cleaning Supplies: I love Trader's Joe's sea salt for everyday cooking, but unless your would-be burglar has a culinary streak, thesediversion safes shaped like common household kitchen and cleaner products should get passed over, especially when mixed in with other real world products. My favorite is the light mayonnaise jar.

Closet Light: Ironically, a burglar may actually use this working wall light with hidden storage while frantically perusing the contents of your closet. We're adding this to our list of Affordable & Easy Ways to Add Lighting to a Closet Without Wiring.

Books: Etsy shop Secret Safe Books specializes in some of the most fanciful options of hollow book safes, available in various shapes and sizes. Moremundane looking editions are available at The Container Store or you could make your own.

Inside an Old Vacuum Cleaner: Hit up a yard sale or flea market (or eBay, where I found the vacuum of my childhood) and you'll likely run into an older outdated canister-style vacuum cleaner which could easily be converted into a storage compartment. Late 70's and 80's models are likely to be passed over.

Head of Lettuce: This has to be funniest, yet admittedly safe, storage disguise available. The realistic head of lettuce, just chilling in the refrigerator, is a secret stash with 1.75" diameter opening underneath. It's also the most expensive head of lettuce you'll ever purchase, at $99.00.

Get Scared For A Good Cause

Haunted Scarecrow in Albuquerque featured a haunted house that gives back to non profits in the area. This haunted house has been voted the best in the state a couple of times in the past few years.  This year they are teaming up with Warehouse 508 and NMX Sports.  It is one of the most affordable haunted houses, and it is for a great cause.  You can learn more here.





An Albuquerque haunted house, that is Albuquerque’s only non-profit house,will donate all proceeds to various groups and organizations. Haunted Scarecrow teams up with others in order to put on their haunted house each year.

They have been voted the best and scariest haunted house in the state a couple of times. This year they are teaming up with Warehouse 508 and NMX Sports.

The haunted house will be at Warehouse 508 starting early October. Haunted Scarecrow is always looking for volunteers and always accepting donations. At just $15 entry, this is one of the more affordable haunted houses you can go to this Halloween season.

New Recipe for the Weekend

Deep Fried Apple Fritters are a perfect dessert for the fall season.  Do you have a party or dinner you need to go together this fall?  This is the perfect recipe to bring.  Do not let the deep fried scare you, this recipe is simple and delicious.  You can learn more at The Kitchn.

Yes, they are deep fried. I decided to go against the current food blogging trend of baking donuts. I understand how, even aside from the calories, that the thought of deep frying is sort of scary for some of you. I get it — boiling oil, pitter-patter-splatter, equals hot painful burns. Yep, been there (don't be like me and multi-task deep frying with social media!).
Tips for a Better, Easier Fritter

Since this isn't the shortest recipe ever and it's a bit more advanced, I'm sharing some tips to make sure things move along smoothly for you.

I'll start with the apples: core, peel and chop your apples then submerge them in ice cold water with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to prevent them from browning. Push the apples down and place a piece of parchment paper on top so the apples don't bob above the surface of the water. You can do this the night before so the apples are ready to go when you're ready to fry.

And here's a shortcut for proofing the dough: Place an oven thermometer inside your oven and heat the oven to 100°F, then turn it off. Wait until the oven thermometer inside reads 90°F then place your bowl of dough inside. I use this method a lot in the winter when warm spots in the house can be hard to find, plus it speeds up the proofing in recipes like this. If you use this method, make sure you have an oven thermometer and the temperature in the oven does not exceed 90°F.

Now for the deep frying. You want to do your best and keep the oil at a steady 360°F. If it's too low, your fritters will absorb too much oil and become sodden; too high and the outsides will end up burnt, or worst — appear to be finished with a nice golden browning while the inside is still doughy.

A few deep frying rules!
Use the right tools: (1) a deep frying thermometer is a must for eliminating guess-work, (2) use an Asian-style spider spatula — not tongs — to remove the finished fritters. If you don't have a spider, a very wide slotted-spoon will also work so the fritter doesn't slip off and fall back in the oil with enough splash to splatter your tender skin.
Don't multi-task. See note above.
Minimize any splatter burns by being careful and not deep frying shirtless (guys), or in a tank top. I'm serious.
Start out only frying one or two fritters to get it down and establish and workflow pattern. Additionally, adjust any timing as needed to make sure your fritters are cooked through.

Sound good? Not too scared? You shouldn't be — apple fritters await. Now lets get started.

Glazed Apple Fritters


Makes 12 fritters



For the apple filling:
2 1/2 pounds (about 5 whole) Granny Smith apples
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

For the dough:
1 packet of active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prep the apples: Core, peel and chop apples into small pieces. Submerge them in ice cold water with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to prevent them from browning. Push the apples down and place a piece of parchment paper on top so the apples don't bob above the surface of the water. Set aside or refrigerate (for up to 24 hours) until ready to use.

Make the dough: Whisk together the yeast, 3 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer. With a dough hook and the mixer on low speed, mix in the milk followed by the eggs. Continue mixing until the dough gathers into a ball around dough hook, 2 to 4 minutes.

Continue mixing the dough, and add in the butter one tablespoon at time. Allow each tablespoon of butter to combine into the dough before adding another. If dough starts to fall away from the dough hook, add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour 1 tablespoon at a time until dough comes back together before adding in next butter piece.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Make the apple filling while the dough rises: Heat the butter for the filling in a skillet over medium-high heat until butter turns brown and smells nutty. Drain the apples and add them to the pan with the butter. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and cook until tender. Add in vinegar and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Set aside to cool.

Assemble the fritters: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Starting from the end closest to your body, scatter 3/4 of the apples over the surface of the dough then roll it up in a long tube.

Now rotate the tube of dough so that it's perpendicular to your body. Flatten the tube slightly, then scatter the remaining apples over the surface. Roll up the tube like a snail's shell — the finished dough will look like a large ball.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the apple-filled dough ball to a 1/2-thick rectangle. Some apples may pop out — don't worry if they do, just set them aside and pop them back in where you can. Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into 2 1/2-inch squares to make 12 fritters. Use your hand to and pull the four corners of each square towards the center. Again, don't worry about any apples falling out or if they are exposed. Pinch dough together if necessary to create a rough circle.

Place the shaped fritters on a parchment-lined baking sheet and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for about 30 minutes or until the fritters puff and almost double in size

Make the glaze: Sift the powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Stir in the milk and vanilla until smooth. Set aside; warm in the microwave in 10 second bursts if the glaze starts to harden.

Deep fry the fritters: Heat 6 to 7 inches of oil to 360°F a large Dutch oven. Meanwhile, line a wire rack with paper towels.

Carefully lower 3 to 4 fritters into the hot oil. Fritters will float and not sink. Fry on one side for 30 to 60 seconds or until golden brown, then flip the fritter and fry the other side for 30 to 60 seconds until golden brown. Remove fritter with a spider or slotted spoon, and drain on prepared wire rack. Repeat with the remaining fritters. (Between batches, make sure the oil temperature returns to 360°F and remove any floating pieces of dough or apples.)

Let fritters cool slightly, then brush the glaze on top. Serve immediately.

8 Foods to Always Spend Money On

What do you spend the most money on at the grocery store?  There are certain items that you should never be afraid to spend money on.  Here is The Kitchn's list of these items.  Make sure these items are on your grocery list for next week.


1. Fresh Produce

During the summer, filling my kitchen with fresh fruits and vegetables is effortless and asks next to nothing of my wallet. But as autumn rolls in, and farms around American shift into winter mode, the price of fresh foods spikes. I buy them anyway. In six years of being a student, the common cold or flu never fails to catch me if I neglect my fresh fruits and veggies. One method to maintain diversity without spending too much at once is to buy, for example, two different fruits and two different veggies, and eat them until they're gone.

2. Hormone- and Antibiotic-Free Meats

This is a big one. While I'm still not at a place where I can buy local meat, it's important for me to eat meat from animals that have not been fed diets filled with pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. In particular, antibiotics and hormones in animal diets have been tagged as possible culprits for a myriad of health trends today, none of which are positive. While local and grass-fed are always best, if that's not an option, try to make a priority to buy organic meats from your supermarket.

3. Hearty Breads

Most "wheat" breads are barely better than white breads in terms of nutritional value. I always scan the label and look for at minimum 3 grams of dietary fiber per slice. Even better, I buy heartier, grain-rich artisan breads from the bakery section of my mainstream grocery store. For just a few dollars more (or cents if they are on sale!) my sandwiches, sides, and snacks feel just a little fancier and I stay full for longer.

4. Quality Dressings

If you're not going to make your own salad dressings, it's worth it to invest in higher quality, albeit pricier, salad dressings. Cheap salad dressings are filled with a myriad of ingredients that you're better off avoiding, including partially hydrogenated oils, older oils that may be rancid, high fructose corn syrup, too much sugar, too much salt, and MSG, to name a few. Again, check the nutrition label: buy the options that have the fewest unrecognizable ingredients.

5. Yogurt

Good yogurt is worth investing it, particularly if you like Greek yogurt. More expensive yogurts are usually made with fewer and better ingredients and feature less sugar than cheaper brands.

6. Chocolate

Cheap chocolate is sad and makes me sad. It's often full of additives and never melts properly on my tongue. Splurging on quality dark chocolates satiates my sweet tooth and replaces cheaper desserts, such as packaged baked goods and other empty carbs. Ditching processed desserts and treating myself to good chocolate is one of the best decisions I've made.

7. Coconut Oil

Yes, that tiny jar is expensive. But if you cook with lots of oils or butters, coconut oil can be your new best friend, as its one of the healthier fats. Extremely versatile, you can use it for sautéing anything, spreading it on your toast instead of butter, dropping a spoonful into your breakfast smoothie to keep you full for longer, and more.

8. Raw Honey

Honey is an antimicrobial and antibacterial food, and in moderation can be one of your best sweetener options. However, most honey in stores has been pasteurized, which eliminates most of honey's virtues and renders it little more than syrupy sugar. Raw honey, while a bit pricier, comes with a host of benefits and is a great natural sweetener in recipes and drinks.

5 Things to Re-energize your Space

Are you bored with the rooms in your home?  If you have had the same furniture layout or decor for years, maybe it is time you try to switch things up.  These five easy tricks can give new life to your home.  These are all ways to give your home a new look without breaking the bank.  You can learn more at Apartment Therapy.

Often I find myself tempted to buy things for my home not because I actually need new things, but because I suffer from ennui. I suppose it's the human condition: a space which seems exciting and fresh one year can seem a little same old, same old the next. But there are plenty of ways to make a space feel fresh and re-energized without pulling out your wallet. If your home is feeling a little stale, try one of these five strategies for refreshing your home without spending a dime.

1. Get rid of things.
Earlier this year I got rid of about half my furniture. I was sort of forced into it: I was staging my house to sell, and everyone knows that a house looks bigger with less stuff in it. My house did look bigger, post-purge, but what surprised me the most was how much more I liked my house. (It almost made me not want to move after all!) Getting rid of furniture meant that the pieces that were left were ones I really liked, and that they had room to breathe.

So try this at home: go into a room, and pick out one piece that doesn't really need to be there. Or just get rid of a little bit of clutter. Bonus: if you sell your old things on Ebay or Craigslist, you can actually make money while improving your home.

2. Move furniture (and art!) from room to room.
When I shot Sarah Hazel's house tour, she gave me a bit of advice for keeping your home feeling fresh: "I think that furniture gets bored staying in the same place all the time. Rearrange often." Sure enough, the next time I visited her home, furniture, art, and tchotckes had wandered all over the place. Even though it was the same stuff, I felt like I was seeing these things for the first time.

So shake up your house with a little re-arranging. Move a rug from your bedroom into the living room. Hang a big painting in the bathroom. If you're feeling really bold, you could switch two rooms entirely. You'll feel like you have a whole new house, but it won't cost you anything (except maybe beer for your furniture-moving friends).

3. Finish a project you've been working on for a long time.
Everyone who is even slightly DIY-inclined has a dirty secret: at least one project that lies moldering in a cabinet or garage, waiting to be completed. Want your home to feel fresh and new? Finish it! You've already paid for the materials, and finishing that project will free up space, add something new to your home, and give you the satisfaction of completing something you started.

4. Do a deep clean.
Yeah, yeah. Cleaning is boring. But cleaning, especially when your home really needs it, is also deeply satisfying. Tidy up, do a deep clean, open up the windows for some fresh air, and you may feel like you have a whole new space.

5. Change your perspective.
Don't feel like moving furniture? You can always move you. As I write this, I am sitting on the same side of the dining room table that I always sit on. On the other side of the table, there is a whole half of a room that I have never experienced. I think we all get into these house ruts — sitting in the same spot on the sofa, sleeping on the same side of the bed. Try changing it up. You may see your home in whole new way.

A New Kind of Pumpkin

Everyone craves pumpkin in the fall.  However, the pumpkin flavor is already starting to appear in our favorite foods.  Have you had a pumpkin coffee or beer yet?  There are many more pumpkin recipes that you can start trying now for fall.  Here is one of our favorites, and you can learn more at Allrecipes.

Labor Day Weekend

What do you have in mind this Labor Day Weekend?  We have gathered a list of some great events that are happening around our favorite city.  Take a peak and pick out which event you will be attending.  You can learn more at KVIA.

Here are a few things to do in Albuquerque this weekend while you're up there for the game.

Breaking BaD Trolley Tour

• August 31, 2014
• Location: ABQ Trolley Co.
• Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town, Albuquerque, NM 87104
• Phone: 505-240-8000
• Admission: $65

Rebel Donut Dash

• August 30, 2014
• Time: 8am
• Admission: $35
• Location:Balloon Fiesta Park - Multi-Use Sport Facility, 5000 Balloon Fiesta Pkwy., Albuquerque, NM 87113
• Phone: 505-768-5366.  Send Email
• http://www.facebook.com/rebeldonutdash

New Mexico Wine Festival

• August 30, 2014 - September 1, 2014
• Time: 12-7pm
• Recurrence: Recurring daily
• Admission: $5-$31
• Location: North Camino del Pueblo, 243 S Camino Del Pueblo, Bernalillo, 87004
• Send Email
• http://www.newmexicowinefestival.com

Exhibition: Digital Latin America

• Through August 30, 2014
• Time: 12-5pm
• Recurrence: Every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
• Admission: Free
• Location:516 ARTS, 516 Central Ave S.W., Albuquerque, NM 87102
• Phone: 505-242-1445, Send Email
• http://www.516arts.org

 Albuquerque Isotopes vs. Las Vegas 51s

• August 28, 2014 - September 1, 2014
• Recurrence: Recurring daily
• Location: Albuquerque Isotopes Baseball Club
• 1601 Avenida Cesar Chavez S.E., Albuquerque, NM 87106
• Phone: 505-924-2255
• Admission: $7-$30

Bachechi Open Space Workshop: Discovering Darkness

• August 30, 2014
• Location: Bachechi Open Space
• 9521 Rio Grande NW, Albuquerque, NM 87114
• Phone: 505-314-0398
• Admission: Free

 Hotel Andaluz 80s Prom

• August 30, 2014
• Location: Hotel Andaluz
• 125 Second St. N.W., Albuquerque, NM 87102
• Phone: 505-923-9006
• Admission: Free

 New Mexico Chile Bike Tour

• August 30, 2014
• Location: Routes Bicycle Rentals & Tours, Inc.
• 404 San Felipe St. N.W., Albuquerque, NM 87104
• Phone: 505-933-5667
• Admission: $50 per person with bike rental, $45 without bike rental

Quicktip: Get Gum Out of Carpets

Do you worry about stains on your carpet?  We sure do.  You always want to make sure you get your deposit back, and a stubborn stain can sometimes hurt you.  We have a quick tip on how to get gum out of carpet.  This might seem like a lost cause, but this trick will help you save your carpet.  You can learn more at Apartment Therapy.

Every well-run home is teeming with tricks and shortcuts to keep it humming along. We're sharing our best quick tips — for cleaning, organizing and repairing stuff at home — to save you time and money. Click through for today's helpful hint, and links to tons more...

Gum in carpet is a tricky one. Many people use things like peanut butter or olive oil to get it out of your hair, but when it comes to your flooring, removing the stains those things can leave behind can be worse than the gum itself — enter VODKA. Start by trimming away excess gum with a pair of scissors (using your fingers to pull on it will push it further into the fibers). Next, pour a little vodka over the remaining gum. It actually begins to dissolve it, thus releasing its grip on the fibers of the rug. When used in combination with a soft cloth, it should pull free from your floor and leave things spot free.