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Catching up on Reader’s Questions

I am cleaning out my inbox and trying to answer some reader questions that have been asked over the past year… yes, some of these questions are a year old, and I am sorry for that. Things are busy here and I am terrible at responding to emails.

From Pam: I haven’t frozen pancakes before.  How do you re-heat them?  I would’ve thought they would be too “rubbery”.  Any tips??

Pam, I have found that if I add more liquid to the mix when I make them they reheat better. These pancakes end up being a little thinner than normal, but they still taste good.  Also don’t over cook them when you reheat. Sometimes a pancake can be heated in the microwave in 20 seconds. You can also reheat in the toaster oven. It also helps to slightly under cook the pancakes, only as much as the outside color is light brown rather than dark brown.

From Melissa: Do you have a good recipe for biscuits using fresh ground flour?  Which grain do you use?  I use Kamut, Spelt, and Soft White Wheat for my bread and it is very light, but I have not had very good results with biscuits.

Melissa, for my biscuits I use either soft white or prairie gold. I usually have good results but every once in a while the biscuits flop for no reason. Here is my recipe:

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

  • 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 3/4 to 1 cup or so of kefir milk or buttermilk or regular milk

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a deep mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in the butter using a dough knife or forks until the butter is smaller than the size of a pea, but not as small as cornmeal. Add milk until you get a consistency similar to bread dough. Roll out about one inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter or drinking glass. Bake for about 15 minutes on a greased cookie sheet.

From Rebecca: I would greatly appreciate a referral to any blogs your aware of that focus on only children or boys in general.

Okay readers, help me out on this one. Do you know of any blogs that focus on only children or boys? If so, please leave a link the comment section.

From Rachel: Where do you live that you can buy clothing at thrift stores with prices like that?

I shop at the Village Thrift Store in Laurel, MD. You’ll recognize me from the picture on my header. 😉

From Lisa: Would filling a crockpot onSaturday nite and putting it on low right away on Sunday morning help eleviate your concern for your noon meal?

Lisa, yes it probably would. I just need to remember to plan to do it!

From Kelly: I am curious.  Do you get up super early on the weekend to write your posts?  My struggle would be that the weekend is when we have family time and whatnot and how would I need to arrange my Saturdays to block off blog writing time.

Kelly, this is a struggle for me as well. Right now I don’t get up super early unless Cora wants to get up super early. I usually sleep in on Saturdays, meaning 8 to 8:30. I try and write in the afternoon while our toddler is napping because we tend to be home during those hours anyway. Sometimes I will write Saturday night. I am currently writing this post at 5:59 on Saturday evening. We had a late lunch so no one is hungry for dinner yet…

From Julie: I would LOVE to know what you did to get away from credit cards.

Julie, I cut them up and threw them away. It worked really well because a few days later the trash men came and I never saw them again. Seriously, I have a few posts in my archives about our cash budget, but I am working on a new one as well. I hope to publish it in the next few weeks.

To Serenity’s husband who left the following snarky comment: I must admit, I have given Serenity a little bit of a hard time about her fascination with your site. But lately I have noticed how many tips and techniques she gets from visiting on a regular basis, and have found myself visiting from time to time. Now, thanks to that expert POP-TART tutorial, we can all rest assured that when Saturday morning comes, the kids and I will be well taken care of. Let no one disrespect the POP-TART ever again. Who knew it could be SO easy?

Serenity’s husband: I am glad I was finally able to expand my reach with this POP-TART tutorial. I know many men are turned off by the pink background and oodles of baby pictures on my site. I had been looking for something that could help me reach across the aisle and engage my three male readers. I considered having my husband write a guest post about hunting or fishing but I didn’t want to lose my female readers. Finally, I realized that the POP-TART would appeal to both male and female readers, since everyone loves POP-TARTS.  I am glad your Saturday mornings are now filled with the sweet smelling aroma of cinnamon and brown sugar cooking in the toaster.

That’s it for today. I’ll try to get to more questions next week!

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by admin -

30 Days of Disney ~ Disney Info on the Web


When you are planning your Disney vacation, check out these sites for great insider tips.

Disney’s Official Website: Park hours, maps, dining, hotels, this site has it all. The one negative about this site is that it uses Flash player so occasionally it loads slowly.

DW Insider: Written by a former Disney employee this site has everything from pet care information to sample itineraries to help you plan your trip.

WDW Info: Another great resource complete with Disney message boards so you can ask questions from other Disney fans and frequent visitors. This site even maintains a list of churches located close to the parks.

Intercot: This site claims to have the most Disney info on the web. I don’t know if that is true but this site does have a wealth of information. There is also a very active discussion board on this site. There is even a discussion thread for Disney rumors, sounds interesting.

DIS Unplugged: An all things Disney blog. I thought this site was fun to browse with interesting Disney tidbits and reviews. One of the best features of this site are the numerous pictures in each post.

Walt Disney Boards: While I think the DIS Unplugged messages boards are more comprehensive, this board has a few threads which are very informative. You must check out the Disney refurbishment discussion. Are you planning your summer vacation around your love of Space Mountain? Don’t bother, it is closed until November of this year. This board will give you all the details on hotels, rides, and shows that are currently or will be undergoing renovations.

Disney Coloring Pages: Print out Disney coloring pages for free on this site. This is a great way to keep your little one occupied while traveling to Disney or to occupy them during down time in your hotel room.

Do you have a favorite website for all things Disney?

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by admin -

30 Days of Disney ~ More Character Tips for Hollywood Studios

Yesterday I told you about the new meet and greet for the characters from UP. You actually do not have to go through the Magic of Animation (although it is worth going to) to visit the characters. There is a gift shop adjacent to the Magic of Animation, if you go through the gift shop you will end up in the meet and greet area.

Prince Caspian can be found next to the Journey through Narnia attraction. Once again, you do not have to go through the attraction to see Prince Caspian. There is a separate line you can stand in to only see the prince. Or you can skip the prince and just go through the attraction, which I thought was a little lame.

Buzz and Woody from Toy Story have an a meet and greet across from Toy Story Mania. You can find other Toy Story characters walking around outside of the entrance to the ride. I highly recommend getting a FASTPASS for Toy Story Mania. It is probably the most popular ride in the park, and it is a whole lot of fun!

When you enter the park, you will find numerous Disney cartoon favorites, such as Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale, and Donald waiting to greet you. If you arrive as the park is opening the lines are usually short.

The Power Rangers as well as the characters from Monster’s Inc are located in the Studio Backlot area.

The characters from Playhouse Disney are located right outside the Playhouse Disney Live! If you have little ones I highly recommend this show.

If your kids need to blow off some steam stop by the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground for some fun on life-sized food and foliage.

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by admin -

30 Days of Disney ~ Mickey’s Toontown Fair

Mickey’s Toontown Fair is located at the very back of the Magic Kingdom. Attractions in Toontown include The Barnstormer, Pixie Hollow, Donald’s Boat, Toontown Hall of Fame, Mickey’s Country House, and Minnie’s Country House. The Barnstormer is a kid sized roller coaster and Donald’s Boat is a great way to cool off during those hot summer days at the park.  Toontown is also the best place for your little girls to meet their favorite princess, and visit Mickey and Minnie. The problem is that almost every other little girl wants to visit the princesses too and the wait times can be over an hour. Fortunately, the “tent” is air conditioned, but I am not a big fan of waiting, so here are a few tips to help you meet your favorite princess or fairy.

  • Toontown Fair usually opens later than the Magic Kingdom. They rope off the entrance to that area, but they usually “open” Toontown about 10 minutes before its scheduled opening time. If you are there early and head straight to the Toontown Hall of Fame your wait time will be significantly reduced. For example one day we got to the Hall of Fame at 10:10 am, only 10 minutes after the scheduled opening and there was already over an hour wait to see the Fairies. People that were waiting at the rope at 9:50 am when they opened early waited only a few minutes. Warning: Although I have not seen this, I have heard that people literally take off running once they drop the rope. Please act like an adult and do not trample small children on your way to visit the princesses.
  • Visit the characters during the parades or the fireworks. I realize this means missing the parade or fireworks, but the back of the park really empties out around fireworks time because people want the best view, which is towards the front of the park.
  • If you plan to hunker down and wait it out, this is a great time to give your kids a little snack. The floor is carpeted so the kids can easily sit and enjoy a bag of goldfish to help pass the time while they are waiting.
  • You don’t have to visit the Hall of Fame to see the princesses. Belle can be found sitting on the Tomorrowland side of Cinderella’s castle, Cinderella’s stepsisters hang out across from the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.  Alice greets outside of the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. And you can meet Ariel at her Grotto in Fantasyland.
  • A Magic Kingdom map pinpoints all character meet and greet spots, but keep your eyes open, you never know when you might run into your favorite character.

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by admin -

30 Days of Disney ~ BYOP or Bring Your Own Poncho

photo courtesy of Janey Henning

Central Florida has a interesting weather phenomenon that occurs almost every afternoon in the summer. It pours down rain for about 30 minutes and then as quick as it arrives, it is gone leaving you with a beautiful sunny late afternoon. When I lived there we use to joke that the easiest job in town was that of a weatherman. High of 95, afternoon showers, low of 72, if that was your forecast you were right about 90% of the time.

Avoid paying big bucks for ponchos at the parks and bring your own. They fold up incredibly small and can easily fit inside a bag or purse. If (or should I say when) it rains, pull out your poncho and continue to enjoy the park. The covered rides stay open during storms so there is still plenty to do in the rain. If you have a stroller bring an extra poncho to cover the stroller. While a thunderstorm might be a good time to find something to do inside, your stroller will be parked outside getting soaked. We always brought an extra poncho and some clothespins to cover the stroller during the rain.

Another benefit to the afternoon showers is that many of the tourists do not realize the rain will end quickly and head back to their hotels. If you can brave the weather you might be able to enjoy a less crowded park after the storm.

A word of warning: Central Florida is the lightning capital of the United States. If it is more than a rain shower hang out in one of the many restaurants or gift shops until the storm passes. Just don’t buy anything!

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by admin -

BornFree Bottles Giveaway!

A few weeks ago I was asked if I wanted to try some BornFree bottles for Cora. I was using Dr. Brown’s bottles because I liked the vacuum tube, which reduces fussiness. When I found out BornFree had a similar system, I decided to take them up on their offer.

BornFree bottles are BPA free, which is very important to me as a mom. If you are not familiar with the issues surrounding BPA in plastics here is an excerpt from a Scientific American podcast.

Why should you care? Well, BPA is a component of the polycarbonate plastic in eyeglass lenses and DVDs among other things.  And high levels of it have been linked to heart disease, diabetes and liver failure in humans, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In fact, the National Toxicology Program warns that BPA may cause babies to develop abnormally. The Canadian government went so far as to ban it in baby bottles as well as listing it as a toxic substance. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency maintain that BPA is perfectly safe.

Congress, for its part, is considering banning the substance in some products. In the meantime, note that items made from BPA are typically marked with a number seven. These plastics should never be microwaved or exposed to hot liquids—heat can dissolve BPA into what you’re drinking.   Better safe than sorry.

I fall into the better safe than sorry group and am trying to eliminate BPA plastics in our home. Especially ones that touch our food.

Personally I liked the shape of the BornFree bottles as they are short and fat. This means they are less likely to tip in the fridge and with 16 hands reaching in there on a regular basis, bottles tend to get knocked around. They also fit nicely in my cooler bag, which was a problem with the taller Dr. Brown’s bottles.

The BornFree bottles also have one of those, who knows how it works but it does, valve and vent system to reduce vacuum build up and help reduce fussiness. The nipple on the bottles is more natural (sorry, couldn’t think of any other way to describe it), and seems like it would work well for breastfed babies who take an occasional bottle.

Over all, I really like the BornFree bottles. They are easier to take care of and clean compared to the Dr. Brown’s bottles and are dishwasher safe. Cora seemed to like them too. I wanted to get a picture of her using the new bottles, but then I realized I am the main photographer and feeder, hmmmm.

I realize that BornFree bottles are not the cheapest choice, but it is important for me to buy a bottle that reduces fussiness and is BPA free. Everything BornFree makes is BPA free and this weekend all the products on the website ship for free in celebration of Father’s Day. They sell everything from sippy cups to teethers and even glass bottles!

The generous folks at BornFree have gone a step further and are offering two of my readers BornFree gift packs. Included in this gift pack are four bottles and a sippy cup. Even if you don’t have a baby, this would make an awesome baby shower gift! To enter the giveaway leave a comment. For a second entry tweet about this contest and leave a comment. This contest ends Tuesday June 23rd Cora time.

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by admin -

30 Days of Disney ~ You can be a Monorail Pilot!

Photo courtesy of Joe Penniston.

Did you know you can ride in the very first car of the monorail with the pilot? This is one of the best Disney secrets I know. All you need to do is ask one of the Cast Members at the monorail station if you can ride up front.

It is up to the Cast Member to decide if you can ride. Sometimes, during peak hours or if there is a trainee you will not be able to ride in the front, but we have always been able to ride when we asked. You might have to wait your turn, but it is worth the wait. There is also a limit of four people in the car, but they have made exceptions for our family in the past.

Usually when you have finished your ride the pilot presents the kids with a Pilot License. “Driving” the monorail was a highlight of our Disney experience!

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by admin -

30 Days of Disney ~ Tips from a Local


Here are a few tips that were emailed to me by a reader when we were on our Disney vacation. I completely agree with the fireworks/ ice cream idea. Main Street is a madhouse after the fireworks.

Animal Kingdom- if there is a big crowd going INTO Animal Kingdom, go into the Rainforest Cafe Gift shop- walk all the way to the back – on the other side there are turn styles to get into the park – no one ever uses these.

Magic Kingdom – if you stay to watch the Fireworks, here’s a couple things; if your kids can hang out a little longer – get some ice cream at the ice cream shop on Main Street, then sit at the tables and watch EVERYONE leave, once everyone is gone, you’ll get to see the lights on the castle change and then go off.
If you need to leave with everyone else and need to ride the monorail – If the main monorail is crowded – go to the one that is for the resorts. It goes to the transportation center anyways and it’s a lot less crowded ( a good tip if you have a stroller).

Speaking of the ice cream shop – they make GREAT ice cream sandwiches that are bigger then the ones you buy at the carts. You can easily feed two or more people off one sandwich.

If you have extra time during your visit. Get over to the Beach and Yacht club (either by walking from Epcot or driving in and telling them you want to eat at the soda shop) Go to the soda/ice cream shop that’s out by the pool – Order the kitchen sink – it’s about $20 some dollars but can feed more then 6 people. It’s EVERY ice cream and topping they have. They ring a bell and announce your family name and say what your about to eat. It’s a lot of fun.

If your at Hollywood Studios and want some good coffee drinks or cheap snacks – stop in the book shop/coffee shop next to the Sci Fi Diner. I like to go sit in there with a coffee and cookie while my family goes on Star Tours or the Muppet show for the upteenth time.

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