Here's A Novel Way To Re-Use Wine Corks AND Candle Wax

Having grown up poor, I try not to waste stuff.  We didn't have much money, so if I wanted something, I'd either have to go without or make it in some way.  My mantra has always been:

There's GOT to be another use for everything!!

Wine corks used to tick me off. I mean, I KNEW they were good for more than just corking wine.   I'd looked at dozens of ideas on Pinterest and even made a less-than-attractive trivet using my corks. 

But recently, when I saw all the melted wax in a candle I'd been burning, I had an EUREKA moment!

Wine corks + discarded candle wax =

I grabbed a few corks and dipped them in the melted wax. After they'd dried, I tried using them in the fireplace to start a fire.

They were easy to make, worked perfectly and helped me re-purpose two materials: melted candle wax and wine corks.

FIRESTARTERS!

I found this nifty tutorial on how to make firestarters using dryer lint, an empty cardboard egg carton, old candle stubs, dental floss, and scissors.  While I like it and they like like cute little packages, I'm too lazy to make them.  

So I modified thes “recipe” by instead, cutting a cardboard egg carton apart, filling each compartment with dryer lint, and then pouring melted candle wax into the cups. They're not as pretty as the ones in the tutorial, but work well. 

Guess I've GOT to go drink more wine!  

THANKS FOR READING!!!

My 2014 Halloween Recap & Tale Of One Stupid Mommy (ME)

My tummy hurts, my head hurts, my Weight Watchers scale hurts. When my daughter wasn't looking, I ate EVERY SINCLE SNICKERS BAR from her Halloween stash last night. I have a Candy Hangover.

In hindsight, I was not the smartest puppy last night.

As I was unwrapping the bars, I knew they were bad. I'm aware of the dangers of sugar. I know I have to watch my diet. 

But Snickers is milk chocolate, nuts, and caramel – the tri-fecta of candy sin. 

And they taste SOOO good! Lily got distracted by some neighbors who were throwing a bonfire on their front lawn (Can you can hillbillies?) and my hand, on automatic pilot, started transferring the good stuff from her bag to the pillowcase I'd brought for overflow. She got so much candy, she has no idea what's missing.

So I took it. It's fair trade. She's taken some of my sanity. I took her candy. And now I'm paying for hit. Deservedly so.

In the rest of the Halloween Recap:

• As Junior was getting ready for his stint as a hitman, he realized that with his hair slicked back, he looked more like an FBI guy than Tony Soprano, so he went with it. He grabbed one of dad's old wallets and made up a pretend FBI ID. I was happier with the FBI than Mafia. I dropped him off at a friend's house and got a call later that they were playing poker for candy and the party had turned into a sleepover. His sleepy, cranky presence is due back at the house any time now.
  
  
• Lily trick-or-treated for an hour, with a hundred kids who'd been dropped off on my block, before she got bored. She then gave candy out for a bit before we went over a friend's for pizza where she did gymnastics all night. So she wore her $25 Wal-Mart costume for a grand total of 90 minutes. 
  
  
• Many of those kids were accompanied by parents who were walking around with wine in their coffee cups (Was I the only parent on the block sober?). Seriously? When did parental public drunkenness become part of Halloween?
  
  
  
  

  

  I deserve to be laughed at...

  
  
  
  
• A few kids who came to my door asked if I had “peanut-free, gluten-free” candy. No. This is not a store, Kid. You get what you get and don't get upset. Sort it out later and throw out what you can't eat. That's the way its been done for decades.
  
  
• While there were a lot of Frozen characters, I was delighted that none of the girls was sporting the harlot-style costumes of a few years back. I remember answering the door to see a budding Britany Spears who would not have looked out of place in the Red Light District. Her father was behind her beaming at his darling daughter's costume, looking more like a pimp than anything else. That was noticeably absent this year – thank God!
  
  
• The dominate candies this year were Snickers, Hershey Bars, Laffy Taffy, and Skittles. Baby Ruth and Butterfinger seem to have taken a nose dive in my neighborhood.
  
  
• The kids must have taken wrappers, etc. with them when they left. My street is wonderfully clean of all by leaves falling from the wind and rain swept trees.

And the best part  of Halloween for me was seeing my candy-crazed daughter dive, not into chocolate or taffy, but gleefully rip the top off a bag of dried apples someone had given her. Nice choice, Honey!

Pure candy sin!

Too bad Mommy wasn't smarter. This Candy Hangover I have? It's justified pain, caused by my own greed. But know what? I have a hunch I'll be doing it again next year. Because for just one night a year, the sweet release of candy, is okay.

~~~

After my tummy feels better, I'll begin writing my next post.  In the meantime, please click on a few of my sponsors, please.  Thanks!  

 

2-Ingredient Drinks For The Lazy Hostess

Years before we had kids, my husband and I toured several wineries in Napa Valley.  We swished vividly-colored Merlots in large goblets, sniffed headily fragrant burgundies, and tasted a full array of California wines. And I learned something that has saved us hundreds of dollars over the years: I have absolutely no pallet for wine. I like it, but am unable to appreciate the difference between a pricey Chateau Belair Monange St. Emillion Bordeaux and and an economical Trader Joe's Bordeaux. I also have no pallet for fine liquors and am far too lazy and frugal to make complex mixed drinks containing multiple ingredients, even for my dearest friends. Still, this Holiday Season I do want to offer my adult guests something special in terms of alcohol, so I found some simple 2-ingredient drinks that even I, the Lazy Hostess, can make:

1. The Classics – Rum and coke, screwdrivers (orange juice and vodka), gin and tonic, vodka and tonic, scotch and soda, and white wine spritzers (white wine and Sprite) never go out of style. Depending on the brand of liquor you use, these drinks can be made cheaply plus they're classy and comfortably predictable.
   
2. Pink Bikini – Raspberry lemonade and rum. Pretty, but potent.
   
3. Bourbon Peach Tea – I always think of elderly men when I think of bourbon but becomes a more youthful drink when you add some Snapple or other peach iced tea to it.
   
4. Greyhound – One to two shots of citrus vodka and grapefruit juice. Vary it by using tequila instead of vodka and it's called a Paloma. Tasty and nutritious...sort of.
   
5. Horse's Neck – One or two shots of whiskey and ginger ale.
   
6. Dark & Stormy – Rum plus ginger beer. The ginger beer (a soda) adds a nice, spicy kick.
   
7. Shandy – I was introduced to this drink from a former Jamaican colleague. The basic version consists of one part beer with another beverage such as lemonade, limeade, ginger ale, or Sprite. Use a light beer with a diet drink for those who are weight-conscious or make it with ginger beer for a bit of heat. One of my all-time favorites!
   
8. Irish Cream and Chocolate Milk – Don't wrinkle your nose at this!  The chocolate milk makes this a little less thick and far much more delicious. Use skim milk to pretend you're on a diet and heat it up for extra warmth (read on for more warm drinks). 
   
9. Rum and Root Beer – Use a dark or spiced rum and grab a can of A&W Root Beer. It makes a surprisingly nice combination.
   
10. Bellini – This drink is made with peach puree and prosecco. If you don't have time to puree peaches, try a jar of pureed peaches baby food.

Warm drinks are par for this time of year and there's nothing like sitting in front of a fire sipping one after the kids have gone to bed. My first intro to a heated alcoholic drink was when I toured the Brotherhood Winery and sampled their amazing Holiday Wine (learn more at http://www.brotherhood-winery.com/winesSpecialty.html). At first, guests balked at a hot wine, but after trying this sweet, spicy drink, they were hooked. According to the website About.com (http://cocktails.about.com/od/cocktailrecipes/a/warm_drinks.htm), the trick to keeping the drinks warm is to preheat the glass by pouring hot water in it before making the drink. So here are a few warm concoctions, perfect for Christmas Eve:

1. Irish Coffee – You've gotta give the Irish credit for mixing black coffee and Irish whiskey. Add whipped cream for extra flavor and color. Using a flavored coffee or a coffee syrup, obviously, gives it added dimension.
   
2. Adult Hot Cocoa – Grab your Swiss Miss hot chocolate and ad a little peppermint schnapps. Use a candy cane as a swizzle stick. A variation on this is hot cocoa with whiskey which is called a Hershey Squirt.
   
3. Hot Buttered Rum – This is not a 2-ingredient drink, but the extra effort is worth it. Place 1 small slice of butter, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar,a little vanilla extract and any spices you might like (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.) at the bottom of a mug and stir. Pour in 2 ounces of dark rum and hot water. Stir again.
   
4. Butter Baby – Mix 1 ounce of butterscotch schnapps and hot chocolate. Garnish with whipped cream. Smooth, sweet, and delicious!
   
5. Mulled Wine – Again, not a 2-ingredient drink, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention this classic at this time of year. Click here for an easy recipe from Food.com: http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-mulled-wine-79958.

Don't forget to give your guests some choices of non-alcoholic beverages as well! Designated drivers and those who just don't want to drink deserve something special. When I was on a diet a few years ago, I abstained from alcohol to forego the calories. How I wished someone had offered me something better than diet soda! So here are a few easy non-fermented drinks:

1. Coke and Drops – This is basically Coke With Lemon. Take a glass of cola and add a few drops of lemon juice. Serve with a lemon wedge. You can also mix ¾ cola with ¼ lemonade. The lemonade adds a nice tartness.
   
2. Mountain Dang – Mix three parts of Mountain Dew with 1 part of Tang powdered soft drink. Source: www.drinksmixer.com
   
3. Shot In The Pot – Ginger ale and Tabasco sauce. Watch the Tabasco.
   
4. Banana and Cocoa – Not a 2-ingredient drink, but versatile because it can be served hot or cold. Blend one banana (or use banana baby food) with either hot cocoa or chocolate milk and half and half. Depending on how you make it, you could be getting potassium and calcium in this drink, folks.
   
5. Breeze – Mix cranberry juice with pineapple juice. Yum!

Of course when discussing alcohol it bears emphasizing that you should drink responsibly and never walk home or drive if you're under the influence!  In fact, be careful even if you're just decorating and drinking! This article on the website Emergency Care For You (http://www.emergencycareforyou.org/YourHealth/HolidayAndSeasonal/Default.aspx?id=1832), mentions that emergency room doctors have seen injuries as a result of people who drink while decorating their homes for the holidays. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 79,000 deaths occur every year as a direct result of excessive alcohol. Don't be one of them!  

If children are present, keep an eye on cocktails and make sure bottles are far away from small, curious hands. Keep the number for Poison Control (1/800-222-1222) on speed dial at home and on your cellphone.  Remember, too, that teens and tweens are curious creatures. Make sure they don't have access to anything that could be fodder for experimentation.  In fact, if you've got kids in the house, it's a good idea for at least one adult to remain completely sober in case of emergency. 

Never pressure anyone to drink and respect their wishes if they choose to abstain. Designated drivers should be appointed, thanked, and praised.  PLEASE: be smart and watch yourself and your guests!


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