Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Biscuit Personal Pizzas

These are SOOOOOO yummy!!

Buy a package of the "jumbo" biscuits. Roll them out flat. Sprinkle cornmeal on your cookie sheet before putting the rolled-out biscuits on them. Top the flattened biscuit with a couple tablespoons of pizza sauce, a handful of mozzarella cheese, and your favorite pizza toppings.

Bake at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is just starting to brown.

These are a new household favorite around here (and not just with the kiddos)!


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If you're reading this on a feed reader or on Facebook, check out the blog homepage at Cleverhomemaking.blogspot.com.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Blogging Safety

I read a post on Mormon Mommy Blogs by Heather about safety when blogging. This blog post by Heather says everything I've ever thought about safety while blogging. She earns a gold star from me today!!

My family blog is kept private and I've very picky about who I allow to see my blog. Even with those things said, I don't include many "identifying" tidbits on my family blog (such as address, etc) because I'm freaked out about internet safety.

I am going to copy and paste her blog post below because I feel it is really important -- but please check out her original post as well. I've linked to it HERE. Be careful, people!! All too often I see party invitations, announcements, etc with names, addresses, pictures on PUBLIC (as opposed to private) blogs. We live in a really scary world. Be careful!! As the title of Heather's blog post says it best, "Better Safe Than Sorry."

The blogging community is awesome. I’m sure all of you agree. We read about each other’s lives, we leave validation in the forms of comments and emails; we rally around crises together and support each other’s businesses. It’s a large sisterhood we’ve got going on here. It’s a wonderful one.

We feel safe with each other. We understand each other. But, even in this environment of love and friendship there is something I just don’t get. I just don’t get at all.

It’s like laying out a Welcome Mat for Trouble.

It’s like sending a Pedophile a personalized invitation.

It’s like waving a banner that says, “Here I am! Hurt me!”

What could I possibly be talking about? I’m talking about the information that I occasionally come across on public blogs that literally makes me wince. For example: Pictures of the front of the family home. Pictures of children standing outside their classrooms –which include their teacher’s name and room number, complete addresses and phone numbers, invitations which include date, time, and directions to a person’s house. Information, in short, that can lead a “stranger danger” right to your front door.

It’s a scary thing folks, it seriously is.

I saw a news report a while back where some reporters set up an experiment with some parent volunteers. The parent stood in a room watching a reporter *a.k.a. complete stranger to their child* talk their children into getting into a car with them. Parent after parent stood in shock as their child who “would never get into a car with a stranger” got into the car. Over and over again.

Think about it. You have no way of knowing who exactly is checking in on your blog. Chances are that the people who do read your blog know what you look like, know what children look like, know their names, know their interests… You get the idea.

A long time ago a friend of mine was in an abusive marriage. She was able to get her and her daughter away. She has since remarried and has some more adorable children. Well guess who recently showed up at her door one night, when her husband wasn’t home? Her ex-husband. How did he find her? Her neighbor’s blog.
It’s a true story.

I’d just like to remind all of you that what you share with us, you are also sharing with the rest of the world. Be careful about what you’re posting. It’ll help keep you and your family (and possibly your neighbor’s family too) safe.

That’s all. I am now stepping off my soapbox.

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If you're reading this on a feed reader or on Facebook, check out the blog homepage at Cleverhomemaking.blogspot.com.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Eggs-actly...

Ever get part way through a recipe and realize you're an egg or two short?? Don't toss it - substitute:

1 tsp baking powder
+ 1 1/2 T. water
+ 1 1/2 T oil

for *each egg. No one will ever know! :) Also a good substitute if you have an allergy to eggs or exclude them from your diet for whatever reason. The baking powder will give the baked item the "rising factor" and the oil the "sticking" factor that the eggs usually lend to the recipe. Happy egg-free baking!

*Experts recommend not replacing more than two eggs per recipe.

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If you're reading this on a feed reader or on Facebook, check out the blog homepage at cleverhomemaking.blogspot.com.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Susan Powell's Missing Poster

Susan Powell,Missing,Washington,Utah,Crime,Cox

She could have been my sister, your sister, your friend. In reality, she is the sister of a friend of mine, and it breaks my heart what her family is going through. Please share this missing poster wherever you can. Participate in the social media blitz to increase awareness of her missing case. Twitter #findsusan.

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If you're reading this on a feed reader or on Facebook, check out the blog homepage at Cleverhomemaking.blogspot.com.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

My Favorite Things: Sally Hansen Hand Creme

Do you have cracked, split, dry skin on your hands during the winter? I do. Or DID. Before a nurse friend gave me this:


It's Sally Hansen's 18 Hour Protective Hand Creme. It has vitamins A, E and C along with grape seed oil and shea butter. The trickiest part of this is WHERE to find it. It is sometimes in with the hand lotions. But most often, I've found it near the Sally Hansen nail products.

If you put it on generously at night, you'll heal your hands and protect them from further drying, cracking, and splitting. I usually also put it on once each morning after I'm ready for the day. Bonus: the grape seed oil makes it smell good too!

You'll thank me later. Trust me. :)


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If you're reading this on a feed reader or on Facebook, check out the blog homepage at Cleverhomemaking.blogspot.com.