Easy Rib Rub

Let me just start off by saying that we love ribs in my house! I try to make them at least twice a month, not only is it a tasty dinner it's super easy. I always start off with a rib rub. I combine some of my favorite spices and bled them all together. The spices I use are as listed below:

1 Tsp. Paprika

1 Tsp. Garlic Salt

1 Tsp. Salt

1 Tsp. Ground Mustard

1/2 Tsp. Black Pepper

Once you blend the spices up it should look like the picture above. Now you're ready to start rubbing. Sprinkle half the mixture on the front and half the mixture on the back. That's all there is to it. Cook your ribs your prefered method. If you don't already have a favorite way to cook your ribs try it low and slow. I cover mine tightly with tin foil and cook at 200 degrees all day. Don't open and look at them, they'll be just fine. Half an hour before you eat dinner slather your favorite BBQ sauce on the ribs, recover and cook at the same temperature.

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Home Remedies For Colds and Sickness

For as long as I can remember I've wanted to use natural or home remedies versus store-bought items from the drug store to fight the common cold and sickness. Now in the time of Corona virus everyone is extra aware of staying healthy and taking care of themselves in the best way possible. For some people they have no problem guzzling bottles of over the counter cough syrups and other cold and flu medicines. For me I'd rather look to my pantry when I start not feeling well. I decided to put together some of my favorite at home remedies to share with you.

My number one go-to treatment for most ailments is water. Are you drinking enough water every day? The human body is up to sixty percent water and drinking soda and other high sugar drinks all day isn't going to keep your body running the way it should. Most of my headaches come from being dehydrated so the first thing I alway say is "Have you been drinking water?".

Another one of my must have's to get over not feeling well is hot tea. Never underestimate the power of a hot cuppa tea. There are many varieties of tea including green, black and earl grey. Peppermint tea is good to sooth a cough, so I always try to keep this on hand. With the Corona Virus making people have such bad coughs drinking hot tea can soothe your throat.

Something else to keep in your pantry medicine cabinet is honey. Coughing and sore throats are a very common symptom people are dealing with everyday. Honey is very effective as a cough medicine and can help to make a sore throat feel better. I like to take a teaspoon of honey a few times a day. You can also add it to your hot tea as a sweetener. Honey is full of antioxidants and can also be used on minor cuts and scraps as a natural antibiotic.

The next item to pick up if you are feeling sick is fresh ginger. When the hot tea and honey aren't cutting it I have to break out the big guns. Take a little piece of the ginger and peel it. Boil the ginger for about twenty minutes to make a ginger tea, add some honey as well. The anti-inflamitory benefits of ginger can open airways and help ease cough. If you've never bought it before you can find fresh ginger in the produce section.

Chicken noodle soup isn't just good for the soul, it can also help clear up nasal passages when you are congested. The hot liquid broth can also help to sooth your throat like a hot cup of tea. Containing neutrophils, chicken noodle soup can also help boost your immune system. I love to make homemade chicken noodle soup but I always keep a few cans on hand.

Some people like to suck on cough drops, I like to use peppermint candies. Peppermint oil is anti-bacterial, not only can it fight bad breath it can help keep your gut feeling it's best. When I feel sick to my stomach I also turn to the peppermint candy, it supposedly can also help with anxiety. If I'm going on a long car ride I always make sure to have a purse full of peppermints.

For as long as I can remember if I had a sick feeling stomach I would turn to ginger-ale to help make me feel better. You don't always have the time to make some ginger tea and ginger-ale is a great option to use when you are on the go. Ginger-ale is a perfect item to add to you're at home medicine pantry, just try to find a brand that uses all natural ginger.

Lastly some of the vitamins I would add to my supplies are Vitamin C, Zinc, B-12 and Vitamin D. They are all good for different reasons. Another suggestion when you are sick is to get plenty of rest. It's not always easy to do when you are coughing like crazy and generally miserable. If you are super achy try taking a warm bath with some Epsom salts. Make sure you seek medical help if you have a high fever or trouble breathing. Otherwise try some of these home remedies to get you feeling better in no time.

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DIY Almost Free Fly Catcher

Have you noticed how bad the flies are this year? They are swarming at my house on everything and driving us crazy. We had an eight pack of those sticky fly strips lying around so I went about hanging them all over the yard. Every time I walked by one I was so disappointed not to see a single fly! Eventually after a full day I did catch a huge mosquito and they all had those little gnats, so it was barely doing anything. I remembered in years past I had tried to do some DIY fly traps and thought I'd go ahead and try again. I did some Google searching and read different techniques people used. I took an old sports drink bottle and cut the top off and then inverted it back into the bottle. I used clear tape to seal it shut. I then poured a mixture of sugar, water and molasses in along with a few drops of dish soap, it was now ready to go. The first night something must have wanted the molasses because it got knocked over and all the liquid came out, no flies. A bit later we were working in the yard and a cup of coffee my husband was drinking had a bunch of flies all over it. I figured if they liked the coffee I'd go ahead and use that as my bait in my replacement batch. I added the coffee, which had milk and sugar, molasses and the dish soap. Before I knew it the flies were flying in and then not being able to fly back out. My trap was working. I then came up with an idea to maybe use something sticky like straight molasses or honey so all they had to do was land and be stuck. I poured some molasses in a plastic container I had saved. It was catching some flies but it seemed by the next day they figured out a way to walk down the side and enjoy the molasses without getting stuck. My improvising had me take some plastic wrap and seal tightly with tape. I then cut a little hole so the fly's could come in but not figure out how to get back out. This worked so much better and I was catching so many flies. It's been about five days now and I'm very pleased with how well this has done.

I had everything I needed to make this lying around the house and you probably do too. You can use any type of bottle like a two liter or even a bottle of V8. I've also made some small ones out of little water bottles. Basically anything you put inside will work, it just needs to be sweet. Some examples would be honey, coffee, juice, just experiment a little and see what they like best. Some call for putting vinegar in but I didn't have any and I don't see the need. The dish soap alone seems to work well.

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Composting Benefits and Uses

We all have kitchen waste, from the peels of potatoes to the ends of tomatoes. What we do with that waste can really make a difference, in both your yard and the environment. When the scraps of food you toss out end up in the local landfill, it produces methane. Methane is harmful to the environment. The problem with the food waste is that it gets buried and doesn't get a chance to break down properly to form compost. When you compost at home and take care of your little heap of black gold it gets all the things it needs to turn itself into compost. Your plants will love it once it's all broken down and ready to go.

So now lets talk about some of the things that I compost most often: coffee grounds, eggshells and the peels from things like potatoes, carrtos and onions. I save an old plastic coffee conatainer with a lid to keep my scraps in until they are ready to go out to the compost bin. Its a great way to reuse something that would normally end up in the dump and it keeps any smell or fruit flies away. What are your favorite things to compost? Find us on Facebook!

ReceiptHog: Earn Money From Store Receipts

In these days of Covid we are all looking for ways to save money or earn money. In case you haven't noticed prices at the grocery store are rising and incomes aren't! I've used apps like these on and off over the years and it was a nice way to make a few extra bucks with something you are doing anyway. Since the grocery store prices are sky high right now I thought it would be a great time to get back into some of these apps. ReceiptHog is a fun and easy to use app where you earn by uploading photos of your store receipts. You can cash out for Amazon, Visa or PayPal rewards. From time to time you can also earn extra coins by taking a survey, connecting your email and other various tasks. You can also earn spins on the ReceiptHog slot machine to earn extra coins. Sign up by downloading the app here, available on both iPhone and Android, then enter the referral code (map11372) to get your bonus spins!

I Just Moved To A Hurricane Area, Now What?

Hurricanes are a just a normal part of life living along the coastline. From Texas up to Maine and everywhere inbetween the threat of a tropical storm coming is very real. The season is from June first to the end of November but Hurricanes can pop up before and after those dates, which should serve more as a guide since they are unpredictable.

Quite often before a storm I see people on social media asking what should they do to prepare. No doubt if you ask a question like this some person will say something unhelpful like "move back to where you came from". I would be scared to drive on snow the first time, so it's no surprise if you have just moved to an area that gets Hurricanes you'd be a little fearful if one was coming at you. We just had Elsa pass through and luckily all we got in my area was rain. Over eight inches at my house! The real danger in one of these storms is the flooding. Storm surge if you are on the coast or just a overwheliming amount of rainfall can flood streets and homes and make getting around difficult. My biggest piece of advice is if you live in a flood zone and you are told to evacuate, do so. Never drive through flooded water either, the road could be washed out underneath and you can't judge the depth. Moving water can easily sweep your vehicle away as well, so just remember "Turn around don't drown".

Wind is a hazard as well since it doesn't take much to bring trees and branches down. Take a look around your home and cut down any limbs or dead trees that could fall in a storm. Hire a professional if you are unsure of your ability. Cutting trees down is dangerous! Keep in mind live trees can also fall in high wind. This is especially true if the ground is already saturated from rainfall. Trees with shallow roots are more likley to fall in my experience. If you are worried about a tree falling on your home and you can't safely remove it before a storm try to avoid that part of your house if you can.

Supplies to keep your family going if a loss of power takes place are very important. We can lose power during any afternoon thunderstorm here in Florida so being ready is always a good thing. Have on had plenty of water to drink for everyone in the house, including pets. Have a manual can opener and food that is easily prepared. Things like pop tarts, Ravioli and granola bars. These things will sell out when a big storm comes. Try not to be greedy and don't wait till the last-minute. Keep in mind stores could be closed for days following a bad storm that causes lots of damage and power outages. Make sure you have gas for your generator and chainsaw and know how to properly use these things. Many people die from carbon monoxide poisoning from using the generator in their house or where the fumes can come in. Always use in a well ventilated area. Things like a deck of cards or board games are helpful especially if you lose power for an extended time.

If you are planning to evacuate bring all your important paperwork and identifications. Make sure you have your medicines and things you'll need just like you would at home. Have patience because the roads will likely be bumper to bumper with everyone trying to leave at the same time. Hope some of these tips help ease your mind a bit. What are your favorite tips for Hurricane season?

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Baking Soda and It's Many Uses-Teeth Whitening Edition

Baking soda, also know as sodium bicarbonate is a very versatile product that you should definitely keep stocked in your house. From baking to cleaning this cost effective item has so many uses. Previously I did a post about using baking soda to clean your kitchen stove. If you missed that article you can read it here.

Today we are going to talk about baking soda and how it can been used to whiten your teeth in between visits to your dentist for a cleaning. The things we eat, drink and do can affect the color of our teeth. From drinking wine and coffee to smoking it all can have a negative effect on your teeth surface. Luckily stains unlike plaque build up aren't dangerous, they are just an issue to our vanity. I drink a lot of coffee and sometimes get some staining that builds up during that six months between cleanings. My dental tech suggested adding some baking soda to your toothpaste about three times a week to help remove that staining. You can also wet a Q-Tip and add some baking soda if you have a particularly stained spot.

At under a dollar a box baking soda is a great way to keep those teeth sparkling white! Don't over do it though because baking soda is abrasive.

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