Writing For Money

I recently began writing on a "How To" Website that allows members to write articles just about anything. I was a little skeptical at first but when I saw my first earnings of .04 cents I was hooked. Does that make me a professional writer now that I have earned money for my writing? My amateur writing status which consisted of writing papers for school and reports for work is a thing of the past. I have now earned almost $30.00 from writing articles about things I know best; my favorite recipes; and about being green (a long-time passion of mine that has finally become vogue).

I am going to be checking out some more freelance writing sites and will most likely be writing about them. I am also testing the waters as far as selling some of my photos.

How to Select the Perfect Pineapple

The perfectly ripe, juicy pineapple is one of my absolutely favorite snacks. However, for years I did not know how to pick the perfect pineapple and gave up and bought canned pineapple in its place. My husband was the one who taught me the trick to picking the perfect pineapple every time. First check the eyes of the pineapple and select one where the eyes are of equal size. Grab a spine from the top of the pineapple and pull with a quick firm tug. If the spine falls out easily, then the pineapple is ripe. Then give the pineapple a sniff and make sure it doesn't smell like alcohol. It is that easy.

How to make Vietnamese Iced Espresso Coffee

Have you ever had that wonderful coffee at a restaurant? Maybe you haven’t, let me tell you about it. This drink is an iced drink that has a hint of cocoa flavor (although there is no chocolate in it). It is cold creamy and smooth. I was not an iced coffee drinker until I tried this (I also don’t like my coffee sweet except for this drink). It is very easy to make.

1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk
Instant espresso
Ice

Place about a 1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk in the bottom of a coffee cup, and a cup of very hot espresso on top (I like mine strong,adjust to your liking). Stir until well mixed. Fill tall glass with ice, pour hot mix of espresso and sweetened condensed milk over ice and stir well. Drink and enjoy.
I buy generic sweetened condensed milk at Aldis for less than half the cost of name brand. This drink is several dollars at a restaurant and can be made for a fraction of the cost at home.

Mommy Short Leg Spiders

My four year old daughter drew a picture for me of a spider. She said "look mommy it's a spider, it's a mommy spider, it's a mommy-short-leg".

Happy Fathers Day

What Makes A Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ... Dad

Author is unknown

How to Save money on Gas

I've taken the time to write down a few of the gas savings methods I have been using for years now. These tips make more and more sense as the price of gas rises and there seems to be no end in sight.

1. Make sure that your car tires are properly inflated.

2. Follow posted speed limits.

3. Do not tailgate - tailgating requires for frequent braking which wastes precious momentum and your gas $$. (It's also illegal and really irritating for the car you're following)

4. When driving up a hill remove your foot from the gas just before cresting the hill and allowing your car to coast down the next hill.

5. Do not ride the brakes, if you are braking frequently you are driving too aggressively, remove your foot from the gas and allow the car to slow down when approaching stop lights. Try to keep moving until the light is green (this does not mean inching into the intersection), you use less gas when the momentum of the car isn't stopped completely.

6. Some gas stations give discounts on gas if you purchase cash cards, take advantage of these if it makes sense. Don't drive out of your way to do so.

These are just a few things you can do to improve your gas mileage. It does help if you have a fairly efficient vehicle as far as gas mileage goes. Fuel efficiency has always been one of the top factors I have used in purchasing a car.

How to Remove the Bitterness From Coffee

A simple tip to remove the bitterness from coffee is to add a couple dashes of cinnamon in a pot of coffee. Add it to the filter, or if you use a coffee press, add it to the bottom of the coffee press. We use a coffee press it makes excellent coffee.

How to Have a Successful Garage Sale

This is the time of the year when people like to clean out the closets, attics and garage. cleaning house is a perfect excuse to have a garage or yard sale to make some extra money. the following are just a few tips to having a successful garage sale.

1. Make sure you are allowed to have a sale where you live.

2. Determine a date, time, and what type of sale it is going to be (single family, multi-family or neighborhood sale).

3. Give yourself enough time to pull things together. Look through your items for things you no longer use or have not used in over a year.

4. Make sure all items are labeled with price and initials of the seller if there are more than one seller involved.

5. be sure to have an electric chord available to test electrical equipment like the blender or toaster you are trying to sell.

6. have clothesline (string between trees to display clothing), extra tables, tarps (to lay things on).

7. Display male oriented items near the street so that passerbys can see. Men tend to be drivers and are more likely to stop.

8. Be sure to have change ($80 should be enough)

9. Pricing is important about 25 - 30% of new price is a good starting point. If you are selling collectibles or antiques be sure you know the value of the item. Items such as adult clothing and book prices may need to start at a lower price. People go to garage sales for the bargains so expect people to haggle over the prices.

10. If you have children that want to be involved, a good idea would be to let them set up a snack stand with canned pop or water and packaged snacks. I would suggest against a homemade lemonade or cookies stand and cooked hotdogs could get you in trouble with the local health department.

11. If you have pets please make sure that they are put away. Do not let them run loose during the sale.

I made this short and sweet but would be very interested in anything you might like to add.

Time for Ribs on the Barbecue

It's that time of year again when you have your picnics, cookouts, and family reunions. Everyone enjoys a good barbecue. Here is a rib rub that you can make in advance and have ready when you are.


Rib Rub


1 Tbl Kosher salt
1 Tbl granulated sugar
1 Tbl dark brown sugar
1 Tbl chili powder
1 Tbl ground cumin
1 Tbl pepper
2 Tbl sweet paprika
1 Tbl powder garlic
1 Tbl dried grated lemon peel
1 Tbl onion powder

Measure all ingredients into a ziploc bag and mix well by shaking. Rub into spareribs 3 - 24 hours prior to grilling. Cook ribs on grill. You can add some of your favorite sauce just before you remove from the grill, or you can enjoy it as is.

How to make sourdough starter

Sourdough Starter uses the wild strains of yeast that is found in the air and already in the flour. If you see starter that uses yeast, it is not a true sourdough starter. Making sourdough starter is fairly easy to do but does require a bit of diligence.

First start with a clean wide mouth glass or plastic jar - mix 2 tablespoons of wheat flour with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of water (you might want to use bottled water to start your starter) and add to the jar. Place a lid over the jar loosely do not seal. Let sit for 24 hours.

Second mix another 2 tablespoons of wheat flour with 1 1/2 tablespoons of water and add to the jar and mix. Do not worry about a few lumps, the lumps will be absorbed during the process.

Repeat a third day with wheat flour. After the third day you may use white flour - or continue with the wheat flour.

After 7 days you should have enough starter for a loaf of bread (I'll be writing about this later). Follow directions to make loaf of bread. Do not use all of the starter or you will have to start all over again. When making your own sourdough starter, it may be hit and miss, sometimes the strain of yeast that grows is not very tasty. This being said is part of the fun of trying to start your own sourdough starter.

You will also have the bragging rights when you succeed. Sourdough starter can be kept for years and decades with proper handling. I'll be writing about that later

Becca's Biscuits

The other day my 4 year old daughter was making her calves jump, she asked me

"Mom do you know how to do this?"

I answered "How?"

she said "I just squeeze my biscuits and my legs jump"

"What is a biscuit?" I asked

she said "you know, your butt"