Some Substitutes For Everyday Items

I should be sweeping the kitchen floor, right now, but I thought it would be more fun to share to great "substitutes" for some items I use everyday. Sorry, I don't have pictures to go with said items. I am on uber crunch time today (when am I not?). Anyway, I have recently discovered that.......

Cheap hair conditioner (accidentally bought on a grab and not look moment at the store) makes the BEST shave gel. No razor burn, no knicks, and super smooth skin.

An old toothbrush (properly disinfected in the dishwasher, so that you don't get eye cooties) is a great brow brush/ eyelash  groomer.

The lid off an ice cream bucket is a great substitute for a cutting board for cutting smaller items like fruit or cheese.

Clothes pins are great for closing the tops of chip, cookie, bread, etc. bags. They keep a tight seal and stay in place!

A metal bundt cake pan is great for freezing ice rings for parties. Freeze extra punch or water into ice rings. To use just set the pan in warm water  (just enough to go up the sides, not over the top) for a few minutes to release the ice ring.

These are just a few of my favorite way to reuse everyday household items.

What are some of your favorite ways to substitute and reuse items around your house ( I do love, love, LOVE handy ideas)?

Oh, and just so this post isn't totally pictureless, here is the picture of my daughter's Sweet Sixteen cupcake tree. You will be happy to know the stand was constructed out of scrap glass, and thrift store candy dishes. The cupcakes were baked with love (and sugar)!

Fabulous No Roll Pie Crust

I just had to drop by today to share the BEST recipe I have ever discovered (okay, I discover great recipes all the time, but this is in the Top Five, DEFNITELY)! For me, desperation is usually always the mother of invention. Since, I am generally always trying to squeeze at least three seperate things in the same time increments, desperation is USUALLY my middle name. If multi tasking were an Olympic sport, I would be in the running for the Gold! Anyway, I digress.

I had an obscenely large amount of browning apple slices left over from a little party I hosted over the weekend (more about that later).  Of course, you all know that throwing said apples away would pain me GREATLY! Unfortunately, all efforts to feed the unattractive apples to my Dear Family, backfired! Apparently, eating brownish orange apple slices did not appeal to them. On to Plan B, then! I will just turn them into pie! Oh, wait! I only have nano seconds to throw a pie together........STINK! What to do? What to do?

Allrecipes to the RESCUE! No Roll Pie Crust is one of the best inventions, EVER in my book! It as easy as can be.  Spray your pie plate with cooking spray. Toss all the dry ingredients together  in the pie plate. Then stir in the wet ingredients. Pat the dough along the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Fill with your favorite fruit filling. Top with a crumb crust (so the apple don't dry out), and bake for 350 degrees for 50 minutes. No chilling, no rolling, no swearing.......it's FOOL PROOF, and flaky, too. I don't think I will be going back to the old fashioned, labor intensive pie crust, any time soon.

Fool Proof Pie Crust
(makes enough dough for one 8 inch pie)
Find original recipe HERE

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons milk (I used half and half)

Follow the directions above. If you want to bake the empty crust , bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Don't forget to prick the crust all over with a fork, cover crust with aluminum foil, and fill with dry beans to keep it from shrinking and bubbling.

You may have noticed from the picture at the top of the post, that nobody had a problem eating the icky apples once it was turned into pie.

P.S, For the crumb topping, I sifted together:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Then I cut in 3 tablespoons cold butter until it resembled coarse crumbs.